Duke Ellington
Sign in to saveAmerican jazz pianist and composer (1899–1974)
AI overview
Duke Ellington was an American jazz pianist and composer who lived from 1899 to 1974 and became one of the most influential figures in jazz history. His innovative compositions and distinctive musical style shaped the development of jazz as an art form and left a lasting impact on American music and culture.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1899-04-29
- Died
- 1974-05-24
- Works
- 40
Top works
- The Great Music of Duke Ellington
- The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition
- Vocal Score
- Come Sunday
- Music Is My Mistress
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem.
Known for
- Steve e il Duca — Self (archival)2024
- Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat — Self (archive footage)2024
- I Can't Give You Anything But Love: The Jimmy McHugh Story — Self (archive footage)2024
- Charlie Parker: Bird Songs — Self (archive footage)2022
- Duke Ellington in Isfahan — Self (archive footage)2021
Article
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Music critic Ralph J. Gleason called him "America's most important composer".
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s 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.
Gallery (13)
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Categories
1899 births1974 deaths20th-century American conductors (music)20th-century American jazz composers20th-century American male composersAfrican-American conductors (music)African-American film score composersAfrican-American jazz composersAfrican-American jazz pianistsAfrican-American male composersAlpha Phi Alpha membersAmerican autobiographers