Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, beyond genre labels; his influence on generations of jazz musicians has been, and remains, immense: from the white orchestras of Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet to Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, and then the more underground avant-gardes of Sun Ra and Archie Shepp. The African exile Dollar Brand, Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Davis also owe a great debt to the Duke.

The results Ellington achieved are extraordinary. The American pianist led what many consider to be the greatest jazz orchestra of all time, without interruption for half a century. His band included world-class soloists. Many of them went on to successful careers of their own, while others stayed with the orchestra for decades. Ellington composed with his musicians in mind, tailoring roughly 1,500 works, both short and long, to their individual musical personalities. He funded the orchestra through royalties from his recordings and compositions, as well as box-office takings, affording himself the luxury of hearing his music performed almost immediately after he had conceived it.

"Other leaders," Ellington's biographer Stanley Dance once observed, "looked for men who fit a common, predetermined mold, which is why many big bands tended to sound alike, unless their stars were taking solos. Ellington was constantly on the lookout for musicians who could offer something new to his imagination and who made his band different from any other."

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born and raised in Washington, DC, and studied piano as a child, though at first he didn't take it too seriously, preferring to play baseball. He wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag," at the age of 15 and soon began playing piano at parties. "I found out," he recalled years later, "that when you were playing piano there was always a pretty girl standing at the left-hand side of the piano. I was never an athlete after that."

In 1923, the ever-elegant pianist was playing in New York clubs with a band called The Washingtonians, which included saxophonist Otto Hardwick and drummer Sonny Greer. Ellington became its leader the following year, and the band's distinctive style began to take shape, especially after growl-trumpet specialist Bubber Miley joined in 1925. Under the guidance of manager Irving Mills, the band began recording prolifically in 1927 and landed a four-year residency at Harlem's Cotton Club, where Ellington provided music for the ever-changing variety shows.

The orchestra continued to flourish through recordings, film and tours of Europe and the United States throughout the 1930s, reaching what many consider its creative peak between 1939 and 1942, when tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and bassist Jimmie Blanton were part of the lineup. In 1941, with financial backing from friends in the film industry, Ellington composed the theatrical musical "Jump For Joy" in an attempt to counter the negative images of African Americans then prevalent in musical theater and film. Although the show closed after just 12 weeks in Los Angeles, "Jump For Joy" marked the beginning of an interest in creating longer works, often with socially significant themes, that continued for the rest of Ellington's life.

Baritone saxophonist Harry Carney stayed with Ellington longer than any other band member, from 1927 to 1974. Alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, the orchestra's most popular soloist, was part of the horn section for nearly as long, from 1928 to 1951 and again from 1955 to 1970. Other notable members included trumpeters Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Ray Nance, Cat Anderson and Clark Terry; cornetist Rex Stewart; trombonists Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol and Lawrence Brown; clarinetists Barney Bigard and Jimmy Hamilton; saxophonists Ben Webster and Paul Gonsalves; bassists Wellman Braud, Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford; drummers Sonny Greer, Louie Bellson and Sam Woodyard; and singers Ivie Anderson and Al Hibbler.

Among Ellington's most celebrated compositions are at least "Black and Tan Fantasy," "Mood Indigo," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Sophisticated Lady," "Solitude," "In a Sentimental Mood," "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" (also known as "Concerto for Cootie"), "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" (aka "Never No Lament"), "I'm Beginning to See the Light," and "Satin Doll." His longer works include "Black, Brown, and Beige," "The Liberian Suite," "Such Sweet Thunder," "The Far East Suite," "The Latin American Suite," "The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse," and three sacred concerts. Ellington's theme song, "Take the 'A' Train," was composed by his longtime collaborator, pianist Billy Strayhorn.