Duke ellington mini biography sample

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1917; served as a U.S. Navy and State Department messenger during World War I; began leading his own band c. This concert made Duke Ellington famous all over again. They became the house band at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Duke said Strayhorn was like his "right arm." Strayhorn wrote the band's most famous theme song, "Take the "A" Train."

During the early 1940s, the band was excellent.

For the first concert, Ellington introduced Black, Brown, and Beige, a piece in three sections that represented symphonically the story of blacks in the United States. He often worked with a talented composer named Billy Strayhorn. Notably, he employed innovative musicians whose distinctive sounds helped shape his orchestral arrangements.

He toured Europe in 1950 and continued to write new music.

In 1956, the band played at the Newport Jazz Festival. His mother, a skilled pianist, and his father, a successful butler, ensured that music was an integral part of his upbringing. But during the 1930s he was also experimenting with the infusion of Latin American elements into jazz; perhaps the most famous example of this work is his "Caravan." In 1939 Strayhorn joined Ellington's band, beginning a composition partnership that lasted until Strayhorn's death in 1967.

Other Carnegie Hall debuts included New World a-Comin', about a black revolution to come after the end of World War II, Liberian Suite, commissioned by the government of Liberia to honor its centennial, The Tattooed Bride, and Night Creature.

During the mid 1960s Ellington and his band, ever innovative, started to perform jazz-style sacred-music concerts in large cathedrals throughout the world.

At the age of six young Ellington labeled his piano teacher "Miss Clinkscales" and, according to Esquire, "was her poorest pupil," the only child to forget his part in her yearly piano recital. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.

Honors and Memorials

Duke Ellington is remembered as a genius of American music.

• Schools: The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.

  is named after him.

• Coins: In 2009, he became the first African American to appear by himself on a circulating U.S. coin. His father made blueprints for the United States Navy, and his mother was the daughter of former American slaves.

  Ellington's parents taught him to be proud of his heritage and to have good manners.

  Ellington's impact extends beyond the realm of individual songs; he greatly influenced future generations of musicians and composers. He thought in orchestral terms, using the band as his instrument. Throughout his career, he composed over a thousand pieces, including classics such as “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and “Sophisticated Lady,” cementing his legacy as one of the greatest composers of American music.

  This period marked the genesis of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, a pioneering force in jazz music that showcased the blend of melody and rhythm that would become synonymous with his name. 1919; performed in Washington, D.C., and New York City during the 1920s, and various other cities throughout the world beginning in the 1930s; concert performer and recording artist with his various bands until his death of cancer in 1974.

  When he was seven years old, he started taking piano lessons. Books have been written about him, his image is on a U.S. postal stamp, he has been honored with doctorates and the Presidential Medal of Honor, and the anniversary of his 100th birthday occasioned a nationwide Centennial. His image is on the District of Columbia quarter.

• Statues: There are statues of him in New York City's Central Park and at UCLA.
• Stamps: The U.S.

  Postal Service issued a stamp with his picture in 1986.

Awards

Duke Ellington won many awards for his music:

• Grammy Awards: He won 14 Grammy Awards.
• Presidential Medal of Freedom: He received this high honor in 1969.
• Legion of Honour: France gave him this award in 1973.
• Pulitzer Prize: He received a special award in 1999, after he died.

Discography

Main article: Duke Ellington discography

Duke Ellington recorded hundreds of albums.

Throughout the 1920s, Ellington's band grew in prominence, captivating audiences with its unique instrumentation and the individual styles of its members.