Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz with 21 Activities
INTRODUCTION XPLORING DUKE ELLINGTON's life 1899 1974 offers us a many paned window to view the person the artist and his times and culture Ellington's long career ran along its own track through a changing country and a changing world His vast musical accomplishments include composing over 2 000 works developing a unique style as a pianist and maintaining one of the world's greatest jazz orches tras for over 50 years His compositions molded a rich musical narrative from the sounds colors and textures of African American life sometimes they took the form of pop songs sometimes long orches tral works Although his music always fell under the banner of jazz Duke Ellington resisted musical cate gorizations of any kind He once used the words be yond category as the highest compliment he could pay to another musician and those words apply to him and his work too He was always reaching for something new and different in music Today Duke Ellington's music keeps being discov ered by people of all ages everywhere There are courses in music schools and conservatories devoted to his compositions and annual international confer
ences about his music His arrangements are studied and played by hundreds of high school jazz bands You can hear his songs performed by young musi cians on piano on violin on trumpet on saxo phone from grade school on up Duke's music gives us inspiration to be creative on our own terms in whatever we pursue Whether it's a song like It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing or one of his Sacred Concerts Duke's music is the work of an American master telling an American musical story that touches people the world
TIME LINE Thomas Edison invents the wax cylinder phonograph Chicago hosts World's Columbian Exposition 1893 1877 Apring Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington 1899 is born in Washington D C Maple Leaf Rog by Scott Joplin published as sheet music sell over 100 000 copies Louis Armstrong born in New Orleans 1901 The first far disk phonograph is introduced 1906 Ellington writes his first composition Soda fountain Rog I1915 United States enters World War II1917 The Original Dixieland Jazz Band records the first 78 rpm pzz record Livery Sable Blues Side A and Tiger Rog Side by Blington starts working with his first band the Serenadiers Ellington morries Edna Thompson said Race riots break out in ag American cities 199 March n Duke and Edna's son Mercer is born in Washington D The south Amendment also known as Prohibition is ratified 1920 outlawing the de and manufacture of ol The 9th Amendment is ratified guaranteeing women the right to On election in Pittsburgh makes the nation's first day station KDKA commercial broadcast announcing the presidential election results lington moves to Harlem and becomes 1929 the leader of the Washingonian Charles A Lindbergh completes the first solo nonstop Duke Ellington and His Orchestra become the house band at the Cotton Club in Harlem
