Duke ellington biography video edgar

American jazz pianist and composer (–)

Musical artist

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, – May 24, ) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from through the rest of his life.^[1]

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mids and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem.

A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78&#;rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on 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. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz.

At the end of the s, Ellington began a nearly thirty-year collaboration with composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn, whom he called his writing