Duke Ellington
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Who Was Duke Ellington?
A major figure in the history of jazz music, Duke Ellington's career spanned more than half a century, during which time he composed thousands of songs for the stage, screen and contemporary songbook. He created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in Western music and continued to play what he called "American Music" until shortly before his death in
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
BORN: April 29,
BIRTHPLACE: Washington D.C.
DEATH: May 24, (age 75)
SPOUSE: Edna Thompson (m. )
CHILDREN: Mercer Ellington
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
Early Life
Born on April 29, , Ellington was raised by two talented, musical parents in a middle-class neighborhood of Washington, D.C. At the age of seven, he began studying piano and earned the nickname "Duke" for his gentlemanly ways. Inspired by his job as a soda jerk, he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag," at the age of Despite being awarded an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Ellington followed his passion for ragtime and began to play professionally at age
Duke Ellington's Band
I
A Duke Named Ellington
&#;It don&#;t mean a thing if it ain&#;t got that swing.&#;
Considered one of the greatest jazz composers of all time, Duke Ellington had an enormous impact on the popular music of the late 20th century. Among his more than two thousand songs are such hits as &#;In A Sentimental Mood,&#; &#;Sophisticated Lady,&#; &#;I Got It Bad And That Ain&#;t Good,&#; and &#;I&#;m Beginning To See The Light.&#; For almost fifty years he toured the world as a band leader and piano player. Today his recordings remain among the most popular jazz of the big-band era.
Duke Ellington&#;s early career
Born in Washington D.C. in , Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as &#;Duke,&#; began playing piano as a child. His mother, who also played the piano, oversaw his education, and by the time he was seventeen he began playing professionally. Making his name as a piano player in Washington, Ellington started to compose his own music. In he moved to New York, and the following year formed his own band, the Washingtonians. By , Ellington&#;s band had found a small base of fans and secured an engagement at Harlem&#;s famous Cotton Club. This proved to be a major turning point
Production Team
Documentary Resources
Don't forget to tune in to the national PBS broadcast of "Duke Ellington's Washington" at pm on February 7,
See the Preview of the Documentary.
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THE PRODUCTION TEAM
Correspondent Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times correspondent and author of several best-selling books, has been creator and correspondent of six PBS prime-time series on major topics in the fields of politics, economics, foreign affairs and urban society as well as hosting and/or writing a dozen other documentaries.
Prior to turning to documentary production and writing books, Hedrick Smith was a distinguished correspondent for The New York Times from until , serving in Washington, Moscow, Cairo, Saigon, Paris and the American South. Mr. Smith has published several national best-selling books, including The Russians (), The Power Game: How Washington Works () and The New Russians (). His latest book, Rethinking America (), compares the economic cultures of America, Germany and Japan operating under the pressures of global competition.
Veteran Pro
Learn about jazz pianist and composer, Duke Ellington, with a popsicle stick theater production from the Music Academy. It's one of many online piano lesson resources for kids that we've created to make learning fun. Meet Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington was born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C., on April 29, Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States and home to many national landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian museums, and the United States Capitol building. Edward’s father, James Ellington, and mother, Daisy, were both pianists. James also supplemented his income by creating blueprints for the United States Navy and by working as a butler in the White House. When Duke was seven years old, his parents enrolled him in piano lessons and encouraged him to practice. Duke would have preferred to play baseball, but he did as his parents’ asked and practiced the piano every day. Duke's mother encouraged him to be well-mannered and elegant. He embraced these characteristics and enjoyed looking dapper, ea
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Meet Duke Ellington | Composer Biography for Kids -
Meet Duke Ellington | Composer Biography for Kids (Lesson Transcript)
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