Duke Ellington
Where would music be had it not been for the men that stepped before him. The Motzarts and Beethovens, who wrote the music that today is known as the classics. These men were naturals in their own right, but these people wrote their music in the 17th and 18th century. Many people don't realize all of the changes that music had to go through between that period of music and the present day. One such musician stands alone at the top as one of the movers and innovators of the 20th century. He is Duke Ellington. Along with his band, he alone influenced millions of people both around the world and at home. He gave American music its own sound for the first time. Winton Marsalis said it best when he said "His music sounds like America." (Hajdu, 72). These days you can find his name on over 1500 CS's (Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz, 254). Duke's legacy will live on for generations to come. Duke Ellington was born Edward Kennedy Ellington, April 29, 1899 inWashington D.C (The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 330). His father at the timewas employed as a butler yet always wanted the best for Duke. At the young age of seven Ellington took up the piano, because his father had always wanted him to becom
Often times, Ellingtonsupported his dreams out of his own pocket or from royalties collected from hisever growing and equally popular songbook (Duke is Still Tops. DukeEllington showed Black Americans today that you could be someone, if you wanted it badly enough. At the time his legacy was only known by the whites that went to see him perform. He was now the leader of a headlining bank at the Cotton Club. America was truly disregarding one of the greatest Americans there ever will be. Mostpeople would have given up by now but not the Duke. This issomething that is very unique to his writing. There are even stories of how he would announce from the top ofthe stairs in the morning that he was coming down and demand that his parentsapplaud (Collier, 9). SoDuke moved north to New York and joined the Washingtonians (46). In 1930 he took the group to Hollywood to appear in the movie, checkand Double Check (The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 330). What makes his music so interesting is how it sounds so muchlike Beethoven yet, there is an underlying jazz feel to the music.
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