Duke Ellington, named Edward Kennedy Ellington at birth, was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington D.C. to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. Both of Ellington’s parents were talented, musical individuals. Edward Kennedy was later nicknamed Duke by his childhood friend, Edgar McEntire and this name has stuck with him throughout his life and career. Duke Ellington was one of Jazz and Big Band’s most influential icons. He was known for famous recordings such as “Sophisticated Lady”
I decided to do my research paper on Duke Ellington who was a famous jazz composer, and pianist. Ellington gained national fame in the mid-1920s, through his appearances at the Cotton Club with his orchestra. Ellington is considered one of the most famous jazz composers of his time. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington D.C. His mother Daisy, surrounded Edward with her very polite friends which taught him to have respect and manners for people. After a while his
Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called "The Popular Duke Ellington." Ellington personally created most of the music played by his orchestra. He often wrote
Duke Elington Duke Ellington was an American jazz bandleader, composer, and pianist. He is thought of as one the greatest figures in jazz. The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government of the United States awarded him with the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his fifty-year career, he had played over 20,000 performances worldwide. He was the Duke
A Portrait of Duke Ellington By Tracy Frech Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of American music. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899. His parents were James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They raised Duke as an only child, until his sister, Ruth, was born when Duke was sixteen years old. Duke, even as a teenager, had a great talent for music. In the beginning of his musical life, Duke began to take a promising
History of the US Since 1865 Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (Rough Draft) Jazz music’s roots go deeper than most people could ever begin to imagine. Whether it is the influencing of other styles of music, the broadening of other media forms, or even the molding and shaping of the atmosphere of entire cities, jazz usually has a part in it. And with an impressive career spanning over 50 years, countless hits that are being replicated in numerous forms even today, and the pivotal part that he played
Recognized as one of the greatest all time jazz figures Duke Ellington, whose career reached over a span of fifty years was mostly known for composing thousands of influential songs. As well as constituting into jazz an ensemble of western sounds which was referred to as “American Music”. This iconic figure has left a mark in the world of jazz for centuries to come. Edward Kennedy Ellington better known as Duke Ellington, since a very young age had an intellectual musical intuition. At the young
Said to be the father of jazz, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, born on April 29, 1899, was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra. Duke Ellington was known and is remembered for his unique and profound style of jazz music. His development in jazz was one of the most spectacular in the history of music, as demonstrated by more than fifty years of sustained achievement as an artist which led him to be known as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Duke’s music was
world. Duke Ellington wasn’t the normal everyday hit artist with just one or two big hits we hear on the radio and call great, he was simply a legend. This man was the real deal in the jazz world; he was one of the main guys who put jazz on the map. Duke Ellington didn’t just become great though; just like everyone else, he had to start from the bottom. He had to make his own story. He had to separate himself from others and make a name for himself. This is the story of how Duke Ellington made himself
Duke Ellington One of the most influential men of the 20th century, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as Duke Ellington was an American jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist. He brought a revolution to the American music, especially to jazz music, by his distinctive ensemble sounds. During his span of 50 years of career, he was one of the originators of big-band jazz and wrote thousands of scores; a major contribution to jazz music. (britannica.com) Early life Born on 29th April 1899, Duke
famous musicians such as Miles Davis and Fats Navarro. Gillespie covered the genres of jazz, and bebop music. He was well known for his swollen cheeks and famous angled trumpet bell. Gillespie worked with the jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. He is considered one of the most influential figures of jazz and bebop of his time. Dizzy Gillespie was born John Birks Gillespie on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina. Dizzy was the youngest of nine children and the
personality, and on occasion a producer, direct, and conductor. (Pond, n.d) “Sinatra earned three Oscars, three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award, ten personal Grammy's (and a total of 20 for his albums), an Emmy, a Peabody, and the Kennedy Center Honors Award in 1983. A generous charitable contributor, he was honored with the prestigious Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.” (Pond, n.d) Sinatra was named by some as the top entertainer of the twentieth Century. As a person Sinatra was known
The Blues: in Hughes' The Blues I'm Playing and Baldwin's Sonny's Blues In Langston Hughes' The Blues I'm Playing, the blues are the source of Oceola's life and her choices. Langston is trying to illustrate the conflict between life and art. The art in this story is represented in a confined manner, as a disciplined career with a white woman acting as the overseer in the young lady's life. Art to Oceola, with its profit, convenience and privileges offers an array of benefits, but being embodied
The decade after World War I and the postwar depression were hard times. Unemployment was up, spirits were down, and emotions needed lifting. Americans needed to have a good time. Still, entertainers were losing their jobs, and a gaping hole was left in the public's source of cheer. The Harlem Renaissance was the time that fixed it. African-American music gained popularity from the time when it was enjoyed free on the street through the time of the dance halls with black bands that were paid
mother was a member of the church choir and his father played the violin. For several years, young Coltrane played the clarinet, however it wasn‘t his passion. It was only after he heard the great alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges playing with the Duke Ellington band on the radio, that he became enthusiastic about music. He dropped the clarinet to take up the alto Borgmann 2 saxophone, before long he had mastered it. At the young age of thirteen, he experienced several tragedies that would affect his life
Different from the ballroom songs popular in that day, former slaves and their families created this new music called jazz, which spread like wildfire. Many artists influenced the growth of this great type of music including Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Louis Armstrong played as one of these great men. Growing up in a poor section of the “Birthplace of Jazz”, Armstrong taught himself to play the trumpet, also known as the cornet. Louis Armstrong was the most influential jazz
a reminder of his suffering and that of those around him and transforms it into something beautiful through his music. Works Cited Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia.12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. Print.
The Influence of Jazz in Romare Bearden's work Romare Bearden was one of the most influential African American artists of the twentieth century. He grew up in New York and contributed largely to the progressive art of the Harlem Renaissance. He captured lively scenes of everyday life in his former hometowns of North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Harlem. Some of his most highly regarded works take on the subject of music, jazz and blues in particular. He even composed music and played in various
My two favorite songs of the evening were played by the Mason Jazz Ensemble. The first song played was titled Harlem Airshaft by Duke Ellington. This song uses complex instrumentation to paint a picture of walking through Harlem at night. The song is able to convey the way that Duke Ellington say Harlem. The song feels both hectic and organized all while conveying the beauty of the city. Harlem Air Shaft, as is typical with many jazz songs, uses a combination of
First of all, there are various differences between the styles of bebop, cool, hard bop, free jazz, and fusion. Bebop seems to be the most intricate with its erratic tempos, while cool is the most soothing and relaxing. On the other hand, hard bop is the most brassy and dynamic with its horns, trumpets, and rhythm section, while free jazz is the less restricted. Free jazz exhibits no boundaries, no form, and no newly established rules. Fusion is a combination between jazz and rock, in other words