duke ellington blackboard jungle

by Prof. Bernard Waters DDS 8 min read

What did Duke Ellington's 1962 album Money Jungle do for jazz?

Apr 20, 2009 · The group's characteristic "jungle sound" began to develop with the Miley/Ellington collaboration East St Louis Toodle-Oo, and in April 1927 came Black and Tan Fantasy, which furthered the then...

How well do you know Duke Ellington?

How did Duke Ellington influence jazz?

What is Duke Ellington's full name?

Idealistic Glenn Ford takes a teaching job at a tough mixed race inner city high school. Ford tries to get through to the troubled (and dangerous) "kids," many of whom are played by actors in their mid-twenties. The students are led by hoodlum Vic Morrow and streetwise Sidney Poitier. Ford has a pregnant, clinging wife (Anne Francis), who is ...

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Who is Duke Ellington?

dukeellington .com. Musical artist. Edward Kennedy " Duke " Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than half a century. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from ...

Where did Duke Ellington live?

Ellington lived out his final years in Manhattan, in a townhouse at 333 Riverside Drive near West 106th Street. His sister Ruth, who managed his publishing company, also lived there, and his son Mercer lived next door. After his death, West 106th Street was officially renamed Duke Ellington Boulevard.

What did Ellington do in his day job?

In 1919, he met drummer Sonny Greer from New Jersey, who encouraged Ellington's ambition to become a professional musician. Ellington built his music business through his day job. When a customer asked him to make a sign for a dance or party, he would ask if they had musical entertainment; if not, Ellington would offer to play for the occasion. He also had a messenger job with the U.S. Navy and State departments, where he made a wide range of contacts.

How many compositions did Ellington write?

A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become standards.

Where was Ellington born?

Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe.

What was Ellington's long term aim?

Ellington's long-term aim, though, was to extend the jazz form from that three-minute limit, of which he was an acknowledged master. While he had composed and recorded some extended pieces before, such works now became a regular feature of Ellington's output.

How did Ellington lead the orchestra?

Ellington led the orchestra by conducting from the keyboard using piano cues and visual gestures; very rarely did he conduct using a baton. By 1932 his orchestra consisted of six brass instruments, four reeds, and a rhythm section of four players. As the leader, Ellington was not a strict disciplinarian; he maintained control of his orchestra with a combination of charm, humor, flattery and astute psychology. A complex, private person, he revealed his feelings to only his closest intimates. He effectively used his public persona to deflect attention away from himself.

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Early Life and Education

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Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, to James Edward Ellington and Daisy (Kennedy) Ellington in Washington, D.C. Both his parents were pianists. Daisy primarily played parlor songs, and James preferred operatic arias. They lived with Daisy's parents at 2129 Ida Place (now Ward Place), NW, in D.C.'s West End neigh…
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Career

  • Early career
    Working as a freelance sign-painter from 1917, Ellington began assembling groups to play for dances. In 1919, he met drummer Sonny Greerfrom New Jersey, who encouraged Ellington's ambition to become a professional musician. Ellington built his music business through his day j…
  • Cotton Club engagement
    In October 1926, Ellington made an agreement with agent-publisher Irving Mills, giving Mills a 45% interest in Ellington's future. Mills had an eye for new talent and published compositions by Hoagy Carmichael, Dorothy Fields, and Harold Arlen early in their careers. After recording a handful of a…
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Personal Life

  • Ellington married his high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson (d. 1967), on July 2, 1918, when he was 19. The next spring, on March 11, 1919, Edna gave birth to their only son, Mercer Kennedy Ellington. Ellington was joined in New York City by his wife and son in the late twenties, but the couple soon permanently separated. According to her obituary in Jet magazine, she was "homes…
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Death

  • Ellington died on May 24, 1974, of complications from lung cancer and pneumonia, a few weeks after his 75th birthday. At his funeral, attended by over 12,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Ella Fitzgeraldsummed up the occasion: "It's a very sad day. A genius has passed." He was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery, the Bronx, New York City.
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Legacy

  • Memorials
    Numerous memorials have been dedicated to Duke Ellington in cities from New York and Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles. In Ellington's birthplace, Washington, D.C., the Duke Ellington School of the Arts educates talented students who are considering careers in the arts by providi…
  • Tributes
    After Duke died, his son Mercer took over leadership of the orchestra, continuing until he died in 1996. Like the Count Basie Orchestra, this "ghost band" continued to release albums for many years. Digital Duke, credited to The Duke Ellington Orchestra, won the 1988 Grammy Award for B…
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Awards and Honors

  1. 1960, Hollywood Walk of Fame, contribution to recording industry
  2. 1966, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
  3. 1969, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US
  4. 1971, an Honorary PhD from the Berklee College of Music
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Further Reading

  1. Africville Genealogy Society. The Spirit of Africville. Halifax: Formac Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-0-88780-925-5
  2. Büchmann-Møller, Frank. Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-47-211470-2
  3. Cohen, Harvey G. Duke Ellington's America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. ISBN…
  1. Africville Genealogy Society. The Spirit of Africville. Halifax: Formac Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-0-88780-925-5
  2. Büchmann-Møller, Frank. Someone to Watch Over Me: The Life and Music of Ben Webster. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0-47-211470-2
  3. Cohen, Harvey G. Duke Ellington's America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-226-11263-3
  4. Crouch, Stanley (June 2009). "The Electric Company : how technology revived Ellington's career". Harper's Magazine. 318(1909): 73–77.

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