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<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">'''Edward Kennedy''' '''"Duke"''' '''Ellington''' (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-1 [1]]</sup> was an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_people American] composer, pianist and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandleader bandleader] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_band jazz orchestras]. He led his orchestra from 1923 until his death, his career spanning over 50 years.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. Washington, D.C.], Ellington was based in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City New York City] from the mid-1920s onward, and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Club Cotton Club]. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe. Though widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington himself embraced the phrase "beyond category" as a "liberating principle", and referred his music to the more general category of "American Music", rather than to a musical genre such as "jazz".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Tucker-1_2-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Tucker-1-2 [2]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Some of the musicians who were members of Ellington's orchestra, such as saxophonist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Hodges Johnny Hodges], are still, in their own right, considered to be among the best players in jazz, but it was Ellington who melded them into the best-known [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestral_jazz orchestral] unit in the history of jazz. Some members of the orchestra remained members for several decades. A master at writing miniatures for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record#78_rpm_recording_time three-minute 78 rpm] recording format, Ellington often composed specifically for the style and skills of his individual musicians, such as "Jeep's Blues" for Hodges, and "Concerto for Cootie" for trumpeter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootie_Williams Cootie Williams], which later became "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Nothing_Till_You_Hear_from_Me Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me]" with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Russell_(songwriter) Bob Russell]'s lyrics.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Often collaborating with others, Ellington originated over a thousand compositions and his extensive oeuvre is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with many of his extant works having become [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(music) standards]. Ellington also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, for example [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Tizol Juan Tizol]'s "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravan_(song) Caravan]", and "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdido_(song) Perdido]", which brought ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_tinge Spanish tinge]'' to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_band big-band jazz].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">After 1941, Ellington collaborated with composer-arranger-pianist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn], whom he called his "writing and arranging companion".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-3 [3]]</sup> With Strayhorn, he composed many extended compositions, or 'suites', as well as further shorter pieces. Following an appearance at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Jazz_Festival Newport Jazz Festival, Rhode Island] in July 1956, he enjoyed a major career revival and, with his orchestra, embarked on world tours. Ellington recorded for most American record companies of his era at some point, appeared in several films, scoring several, and composed stage musicals.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, or big-band, and thanks to his eloquence and charisma, Ellington is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional musical genres. His reputation increased after his death and he was awarded a special [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize Pulitzer Prize] in 1999.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pulitzer_4-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-pulitzer-4 [4]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunther_Schuller Gunther Schuller] wrote in 1989: "Ellington composed incessantly to the very last days of his life. Music was indeed his mistress; it was his total life and his commitment to it was incomparable and unalterable. In jazz he was a giant among giants. And in twentieth century music, he may yet one day be recognized as one of the half-dozen greatest masters of our time."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-5 [5]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;"></p>
 
 
==Contents==
 
<span class="toctoggle" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:12.727272033691406px;"> [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington# hide]] </span>*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Early_life 1 Early life]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Music_career 2 Music career]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Early_career 2.1 Early career]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Cotton_Club_engagement 2.2 Cotton Club engagement]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#The_early_1930s 2.3 The early 1930s]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#The_later_1930s 2.4 The later 1930s]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Ellington_in_the_early_to_mid-1940s 2.5 Ellington in the early to mid-1940s]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Early_post-war_years 2.6 Early post-war years]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Career_revival 2.7 Career revival]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Last_years 2.8 Last years]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Personal_life 3 Personal life]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Legacy 4 Legacy]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Memorials 4.1 Memorials]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Tributes 4.2 Tributes]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Discography 5 Discography]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Awards 6 Awards]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Grammy_Awards 6.1 Grammy Awards]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Grammy_Hall_of_Fame 6.2 Grammy Hall of Fame]
 
**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Honors_and_inductions 6.3 Honors and inductions]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#Notes 7 Notes]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#References 8 References]
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#External_links 9 External links]
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;"></p>
 
==Early life<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=1 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. Daisy and J.E. were both pianists. Daisy primarily played [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlor_song parlor songs] and J.E. preferred operatic arias. They lived with his maternal grandparents at 2129 Ida Place (now Ward Place), NW in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_End,_Washington,_D.C. West End] neighborhood of Washington, D.C.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lawrence-1_6-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Lawrence-1-6 [6]]</sup> Duke's father was born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincolnton,_North_Carolina Lincolnton, North Carolina], on April 15, 1879, and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1886 with his parents.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lawrence-2_7-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Lawrence-2-7 [7]]</sup> Daisy Kennedy was born in Washington, D.C. on January 4, 1879, and was the daughter of a former American[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave slave].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lawrence-1_6-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Lawrence-1-6 [6]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-8 [8]]</sup> James Ellington made [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blueprint blueprints] for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy United States Navy].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">At the age of seven, Ellington began taking piano lessons from Marietta Clinkscales. Daisy surrounded her son with dignified women to reinforce his manners and teach him to live elegantly. Ellington’s childhood friends noticed that "his casual, offhand manner, his easy grace, and his dapper dress gave him the bearing of a young nobleman",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Terkel_9-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Terkel-9 [9]]</sup> and began calling him Duke. Ellington credited his "chum" Edgar McEntree for the nickname. "I think he felt that in order for me to be eligible for his constant companionship, I should have a title. So he called me Duke."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-10 [10]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Though Ellington took piano lessons, he was more interested in baseball. "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Roosevelt President Roosevelt (Teddy)] would come by on his horse sometimes, and stop and watch us play", he recalled.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-11 [11]]</sup> Ellington went to Armstrong Technical High School in Washington, D.C. He got his first job selling peanuts at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Twins Washington Senators] baseball games.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the summer of 1914, while working as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_jerk soda jerk] at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poodle_Dog_Cafe&action=edit&redlink=1 Poodle Dog Cafe], he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag" (also known as the "Poodle Dog Rag"). Ellington created "Soda Fountain Rag" by ear, because he had not yet learned to read and write music. "I would play the 'Soda Fountain Rag' as a one-step, two-step, waltz, tango, and fox trot", Ellington recalled. "Listeners never knew it was the same piece. I was established as having my own repertoire."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-current_12-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-current-12 [12]]</sup> In his autobiography, ''Music is my Mistress'' (1973), Ellington wrote that he missed more lessons than he attended, feeling at the time that playing the piano was not his talent. Ellington started sneaking into Frank Holiday's Poolroom at the age of fourteen. Hearing the poolroom pianists play ignited Ellington's love for the instrument and he began to take his piano studies seriously. Among the many piano players he listened to were Doc Perry, Lester Dishman, Louis Brown, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Layton Turner Layton], Gertie Wells, Clarence Bowser, Sticky Mack, Blind Johnny,[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Jackson Cliff Jackson], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Hopkins Claude Hopkins], Phil Wurd, Caroline Thornton, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luckey_Roberts Luckey Roberts], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eubie_Blake Eubie Blake], Joe Rochester, and Harvey Brooks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Music_on_My_Mind_13-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Music_on_My_Mind-13 [13]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington began listening to, watching, and imitating ragtime pianists, not only in Washington, D.C., but in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia Philadelphia] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_City Atlantic City], where he vacationed with his mother during the summer months.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-current_12-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-current-12 [12]]</sup>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar_High_School_(Washington,_D.C.) Dunbar High School] music teacher Henry Lee Grant gave him private lessons in harmony. With the additional guidance of Washington pianist and band leader Oliver "Doc" Perry, Ellington learned to read[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_music sheet music], project a professional style, and improve his technique. Ellington was also inspired by his first encounters with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stride_(music) stride pianists] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_P._Johnson James P. Johnson] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luckey_Roberts Luckey Roberts]. Later in New York he took advice from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marion_Cook Will Marion Cook], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fats_Waller Fats Waller], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Bechet Sidney Bechet]. Ellington started to play gigs in cafés and clubs in and around Washington, D.C. and his attachment grew to be so strong that he turned down an art scholarship to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_Institute Pratt Institute] in Brooklyn in 1916. Three months before graduating he dropped out of Armstrong Manual Training School, where he was studying commercial art.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-simmonds_14-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-simmonds-14 [14]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Working as a freelance sign-painter from 1917, he began assembling groups to play for dances, and in 1919 met drummer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Greer Sonny Greer] from New Jersey who encouraged Ellington's ambition to become a professional musician. Through his day job, Ellington's entrepreneurial side came out: when a customer would ask him to make a sign for a dance or party, he would ask them if they had musical entertainment; if not, Ellington would ask if he could play for them. He also had a messenger job with the U.S. Navy and State Departments. Ellington moved out of his parents' home and bought his own as he became a successful pianist. At first, he played in other ensembles, and in late 1917 formed his first group, "The Duke's Serenaders" ("Colored Syncopators", his telephone directory advertising proclaimed).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-simmonds_14-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-simmonds-14 [14]]</sup> He was not only a member, but also the booking agent. His first play date was at the True Reformer's Hall, where he took home 75 cents.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-15 [15]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington played throughout the Washington, D.C. area and into Virginia for private society balls and embassy parties. The band included childhood friend [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Hardwick Otto Hardwick], who started on string bass, then moved to C-melody sax and finally settled on alto saxophone; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Whetsol Arthur Whetsol] on trumpet; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_Snowden Elmer Snowden] on banjo; and Sonny Greer on drums. The band thrived, performing for both African-American and white audiences, a rarity at the time.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-16 [16]]</sup></p>
 
==Music career<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=2 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo.jpg]"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (1927)===Early career<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=3 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">When his drummer Sonny Greer was invited to join the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilber_Sweatman Wilber Sweatman] Orchestra in New York City, Ellington made the fateful decision to leave behind his successful career in Washington, D.C., and move to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem Harlem], ultimately becoming part of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Renaissance Harlem Renaissance]. New dance crazes like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_(dance) Charleston] emerged in Harlem, as well as African-American musical theater, including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eubie_Blake Eubie Blake]'s ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuffle_Along Shuffle Along]''. After the young musicians left the Sweatman Orchestra to strike out on their own, they found an emerging jazz scene that was highly competitive and hard to crack. They hustled pool by day and played whatever gigs they could find. The young band met stride pianist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_%22The_Lion%22_Smith Willie "The Lion" Smith] who introduced them to the scene and gave them some money. They played at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_party rent-house parties] for income. After a few months, the young musicians returned to Washington, D.C., feeling discouraged.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In June 1923, a gig in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_City,_New_Jersey Atlantic City, New Jersey], led to a play date at the prestigious Exclusive Club in Harlem. This was followed in September 1923 by a move to the Hollywood Club – 49th and Broadway – and a four-year engagement, which gave Ellington a solid artistic base. He was known to play the bugle at the end of each performance. The group was initially called Elmer Snowden and his Black Sox Orchestra and had seven members, including trumpeter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_%22Bubber%22_Miley James "Bubber" Miley]. They renamed themselves "The Washingtonians". Snowden left the group in early 1924 and Ellington took over as bandleader. After a fire, the club was re-opened as the Club Kentucky (often referred to as the "Kentucky Club").</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington made eight records in 1924, receiving composing credit on three including "Choo Choo".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-17 [17]]</sup> In 1925, Ellington contributed four songs to ''Chocolate Kiddies'' starring Lottie Gee and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Hall Adelaide Hall],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-18 [18]]</sup> an all-African-American revue which introduced European audiences to African-American styles and performers. Duke Ellington and his Kentucky Club Orchestra grew to a group of ten players; they developed their own sound by displaying the non-traditional expression of Ellington’s arrangements, the street rhythms of Harlem, and the exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, high-squealing trumpets, and sultry saxophone blues licks of the band members. For a short time soprano saxophonist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Bechet Sidney Bechet] played with them, imparting his propulsive swing and superior musicianship to the young band members.</p>
 
===Cotton Club engagement<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=4 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In October 1926, Ellington made a career-advancing agreement with agent-publisher [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Mills Irving Mills],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-19 [19]]</sup> giving Mills a 45% interest in Ellington's future.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-20 [20]]</sup> Mills had an eye for new talent and early on published compositions by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoagy_Carmichael Hoagy Carmichael], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Fields Dorothy Fields], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Arlen Harold Arlen]. After recording a handful of acoustic titles during 1924-1926, Ellington's signing with Mills allowed him to record prolifically, although sometimes he recorded different versions of the same tune. Mills often took a co-composer credit. From the beginning of their relationship, Mills arranged recording sessions on nearly every label including[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_Records Brunswick], Victor, Columbia, OKeh, Pathê (and its Perfect label), the ARC/Plaza group of labels (Oriole, Domino, Jewel, Banner) and their dime-store labels (Cameo, Lincoln, Romeo), Hit of the Week, and Columbia's cheaper labels (Harmony, Diva, Velvet Tone, Clarion) labels which gave Ellington popular recognition. On OKeh, his records were usually issued as "The Harlem Footwarmers", while the Brunswick's were usually issued as ''The Jungle Band''. "Whoopee Makers" and the "Ten Black Berries" were other pseudonyms.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In September 1927, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Oliver King Oliver] turned down a regular booking for his group as the house band at Harlem's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Club Cotton Club];<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-21 [21]]</sup> the offer passed to Ellington after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_McHugh Jimmy McHugh] suggested him and Mills arranged an audition.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-22 [22]]</sup> Ellington had to increase from a six to eleven-piece group to meet the requirements of the Cotton Club's management for the audition,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-23 [23]]</sup> and the engagement finally began on December 4.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-24 [24]]</sup> With a weekly radio broadcast, the Cotton Club's exclusively white and wealthy clientele poured in nightly to see them. At the Cotton Club, Ellington's group performed all the music for the revues, which mixed comedy, dance numbers, vaudeville, burlesque, music, and illegal alcohol. The musical numbers were composed by Jimmy McHugh and the lyrics by Dorothy Fields (later Harold Arlen and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Koehler Ted Koehler]), with some Ellington originals mixed in. (Here he moved in with a dancer, his second wife [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Dixon Mildred Dixon].) Weekly radio broadcasts from the club gave Ellington national exposure, while Ellington also recorded Fields-JMcHugh and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fats_Waller Fats Waller]-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Razaf Andy Razaf] songs.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Although trumpeter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_%22Bubber%22_Miley Bubber Miley] was a member of the orchestra for only a short period, he had a major influence on Ellington's sound.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-schuller_25-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-schuller-25 [25]]</sup> An early exponent of growl trumpet, his style changed the "sweet" dance band sound of the group to one that was hotter, which contemporaries termed "jungle" style. In October 1927, Ellington and his Orchestra recorded several compositions with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_Hall Adelaide Hall]. One side in particular, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_Love_Call Creole Love Call]" became a worldwide sensation and gave both Ellington and Hall their first hit record.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-26 [26]]</sup> Miley had composed most of "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_Love_Call Creole Love Call]" and "Black and Tan Fantasy". An alcoholic, Miley had to leave the band before they gained wider fame. He died in 1932 at the age of 29, but he was an important influence on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootie_Williams Cootie Williams], who replaced him.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1929, the Cotton Club Orchestra appeared on stage for several months in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florenz_Ziegfeld Florenz Ziegfeld]'s ''Show Girl'', along with vaudeville stars [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Durante Jimmy Durante], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Foy,_Jr. Eddie Foy, Jr.], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Keeler Ruby Keeler], and with music and lyrics by[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gershwin George Gershwin] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Kahn Gus Kahn]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Vodery Will Vodery], Ziegfeld’s musical supervisor, recommended Ellington for the show, and, according to John Hasse's ''Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington,''"Perhaps during the run of Show Girl, Ellington received what he later termed ' valuable lessons in orchestration from Will Vodery.' In his 1946 biography, ''Duke Ellington'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Ulanov Barry Ulanov] wrote:</p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">From Vodery, as he (Ellington) says himself, he drew his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_scale chromatic] convictions, his uses of the tones ordinarily extraneous to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatonic_scale diatonic scale], with the consequent alteration of the harmonic character of his music, its broadening, The deepening of his resources. It has become customary to ascribe the classical influences upon Duke – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Delius Delius], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy Debussy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Ravel Ravel] – to direct contact with their music. Actually his serious appreciation of those and other modern composers, came after his meeting with Vodery.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-27 [27]]</sup></p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington's film work began with ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tan_(film) Black and Tan]'' (1929), a nineteen-minute all-African-American RKO short<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-28 [28]]</sup> in which he played the hero "Duke". He also appeared in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_%27n%27_Andy Amos 'n' Andy] film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_and_Double_Check Check and Double Check]'' released in 1930. That year, Ellington and his Orchestra connected with a whole different audience in a concert with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Chevalier Maurice Chevalier] and they also performed at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseland_Ballroom Roseland Ballroom], "America's foremost ballroom". Australian-born composer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Grainger Percy Grainger] was an early admirer and supporter. He wrote "The three greatest composers who ever lived are [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach Bach], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Delius Delius] and Duke Ellington. Unfortunately Bach is dead, Delius is very ill but we are happy to have with us today The Duke".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-29 [29]]</sup> Ellington's first period at the Cotton Club concluded in 1931.</p>
 
===The early 1930s<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=5 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington led the orchestra by conducting from the keyboard using piano cues and visual gestures; very rarely did he conduct using a baton. As a bandleader, Ellington was not a strict disciplinarian; he maintained control of his orchestra with a combination of charm, humor, flattery, and astute psychology. A complex, private person, he revealed his feelings to only his closest intimates and effectively used his public persona to deflect attention away from himself .</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington signed exclusively to Brunswick in 1932 and stayed with them through late 1936 (albeit with a short-lived 1933-34 switch to Victor when Irving Mills temporarily moved him and his other acts from Brunswick).</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">As the Depression worsened, the recording industry was in crisis, dropping over 90% of its artists by 1933.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-30 [30]]</sup> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivie_Anderson Ivie Anderson] was hired as their featured vocalist in 1931, she is the vocalist on "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Don%27t_Mean_a_Thing_(If_It_Ain%27t_Got_That_Swing) It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)]" (1932) among other recordings. Sonny Greer had been providing occasional vocals and continued to do in a cross-talk feature with Anderson. Radio exposure helped maintain popularity as Ellington and his orchestra began to tour. The other records of this era include: "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_Indigo Mood Indigo]" (1930), "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophisticated_Lady Sophisticated Lady]" (1933), "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(In_My)_Solitude Solitude]" (1934), and "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_a_Sentimental_Mood In a Sentimental Mood]" (1935)</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">While the band's United States audience remained mainly African-American in this period, the Ellington orchestra had a huge following overseas, exemplified by the success of their trip to England in 1933 and their 1934 visit to the European mainland. The English visit saw Ellington win praise from members of the "serious" music community, including composer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_Lambert Constant Lambert], which gave a boost to Ellington's interest in composing longer works.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Those longer pieces had already begun to appear. He had composed and recorded Creole Rhapsody as early as 1931 (issued as both sides of a 12" record for Victor and both sides of a 10" record for Brunswick), and a tribute to his mother, "Reminiscing in Tempo", took four 10" record sides to record in 1935 after her death in that year. ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_in_Black Symphony in Black]'' (also 1935), a short film, featured his extended piece 'A Rhapsody of Negro Life'. It introduced [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Holiday Billie Holiday], and won an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award Academy Award] as the best musical short subject.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-31 [31]]</sup> Ellington and his Orchestra also appeared in the features ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_at_the_Vanities Murder at the Vanities]'' and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_of_the_Nineties Belle of the Nineties]'' (both 1934),</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">For agent Mills the attention was a publicity triumph, as Ellington was now internationally known. On the band's tour through the segregated South in 1934, they avoided some of the traveling difficulties of African-Americans by touring in private railcars. These provided easy accommodations, dining, and storage for equipment while avoiding the indignities of segregated facilities.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Competition was intensifying though, as swing bands like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman Benny Goodman]'s, began to receive popular attention. Swing dancing became a youth phenomenon, particularly with white college audiences, and "danceability" drove record sales and bookings. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukebox Jukeboxes] proliferated nationwide, spreading the gospel of "swing." Ellington's band could certainly swing, but their strengths were mood, nuance, and richness of composition, hence his statement "jazz is music, swing is business".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-32 [32]]</sup></p>
 
===The later 1930s<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=6 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">From 1936, Ellington began to make recordings of smaller groups (sextets, octets, and nonets) drawn from his then-15-man orchestra and he composed pieces intended to feature a specific instrumentalist, as with "Jeep's Blues" for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Hodges Johnny Hodges], "Yearning for Love" for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Brown_(musician) Lawrence Brown], "Trumpet in Spades" for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Stewart Rex Stewart], "Echoes of Harlem" for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootie_Williams Cootie Williams] and "Clarinet Lament" for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Bigard Barney Bigard]. In 1937, Ellington returned to the Cotton Club which had relocated to the mid-town [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_District Theater District]. In the summer of that year, his father died, and due to many expenses, Ellington's finances were tight, although his situation improved the following year.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">After leaving agent Irving Mills, he signed on with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris_Agency William Morris Agency]. Mills though continued to record Ellington. After only a year, his Master and Variety labels, the small groups had recorded for the latter, collapsed in late 1937, Mills placed Ellington back on Brunswick and those small group units on Vocalion through to 1940. Well known sides continued to be recorded, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravan_(song) Caravan]" in 1937, and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" the following year.</p>
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_in_ons_land.ogv]Ellington in 1939<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn], originally hired as a lyricist, began his association with Ellington in 1939.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-33 [33]]</sup> Nicknamed "Swee' Pea" for his mild manner, Strayhorn soon became a vital member of the Ellington organization. Ellington showed great fondness for Strayhorn and never failed to speak glowingly of the man and their collaborative working relationship, "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-34 [34]]</sup> Strayhorn, with his training in classical music, not only contributed his original lyrics and music, but also arranged and polished many of Ellington's works, becoming a second Ellington or "Duke's doppelganger". It was not uncommon for Strayhorn to fill in for Duke, whether in conducting or rehearsing the band, playing the piano, on stage, and in the recording studio.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-35 [35]]</sup> The 1930s ended with a very successful European tour just as World War II loomed in Europe.</p>
 
===Ellington in the early to mid-1940s<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=7 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_at_the_Hurricane_Club_1943.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_at_the_Hurricane_Club_1943.jpg]Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club in New York, May 1943<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Some of the musicians who joined Ellington at this time created a sensation in their own right. The short-lived [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Blanton Jimmy Blanton] transformed the use of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Bass double bass] in jazz, allowing it to function as a solo rather than a rhythm instrument alone. Terminal illness forced him to leave by late 1941 after only about two years. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Webster Ben Webster], the Orchestra's first regular tenor saxophonist, whose main tenure with Ellington spanned 1939 to 1943, started a rivalry with Johnny Hodges as the Orchestra's foremost voice in the sax section.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Trumpeter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Nance Ray Nance] joined, replacing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootie_Williams Cootie Williams] who had "defected", contemporary wags claimed, to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman Benny Goodman]. Additionally, Nance added violin to the instrumental colors Ellington had at his disposal. Recordings exist of Nance's first concert date on November 7, 1940, at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fargo,_North_Dakota Fargo, North Dakota]. Privately made by[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Towers Jack Towers] and Dick Burris, these recordings were first legitimately issued in 1978 as ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington_at_Fargo,_1940_Live Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live]''; they are among the earliest of innumerable live performances which survive. Nance was also an occasional vocalist, although [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Jeffries Herb Jeffries] was the main male vocalist in this era (until 1943) while[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Hibbler Al Hibbler] (who replaced Jeffries in 1943) continued until 1951. Ivie Anderson left in 1942 after eleven years: the longest term of any of Ellington's vocalists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-36 [36]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Once again recording for Victor (from 1940), with the small groups recording for their Bluebird label, three-minute masterpieces on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record 78 rpm record] sides continued to flow from Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Ellington's son [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Ellington Mercer Ellington], and members of the Orchestra. "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Tail Cotton Tail]", "Main Stem", "Harlem Airshaft", "Jack the Bear", and dozens of others date from this period. Strayhorn's "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_the_%22A%22_Train Take the "A" Train]" a hit in 1941, became the band's theme, replacing "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo". Ellington and his associates wrote for an orchestra of distinctive voices who displayed tremendous creativity.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-37 [37]]</sup> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Williams Mary Lou Williams], working as a staff arranger, would briefly join Ellington a few years later.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington's long-term aim though was to extend the jazz form from that three-minute limit, of which he was an acknowledged master.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-38 [38]]</sup> While he had composed and recorded some extended pieces before, such works now became a regular feature of Ellington's output. In this, he was helped by Strayhorn, who had enjoyed a more thorough training in the forms associated with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_music classical music] than Ellington. The first of these, "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,_Brown,_and_Beige Black, Brown, and Beige]" (1943), was dedicated to telling the story of African-Americans, and the place of slavery and the church in their history. Ellington debuted ''Black, Brown and Beige'' in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Hall Carnegie Hall] on January 23, 1943, beginning an annual series of concerts there over the next four years. While some jazz musicians had played at Carnegie Hall before, none had performed anything as elaborate as Ellington’s work. Unfortunately, starting a regular pattern, Ellington's longer works were generally not well received.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">A partial exception was ''Jump for Joy'', a full-length musical based on themes of African-American identity, debuted on July 10, 1941 at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_Theater Mayan Theater] in Los Angeles. Hollywood luminaries like actors [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Garfield John Garfield] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Rooney Mickey Rooney] invested in the production, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin Charlie Chaplin] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles Orson Welles] offered to direct.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-39 [39]]</sup> At one performance though, Garfield insisted Herb Jeffries, who is light skinned, should wear make-up. Ellington objected in the interval, and compared Jeffries to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Jolson Al Jolson]. The change was reverted, and the singer later commented that the audience must have thought he was an entirely different character in the second half of the show.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-40 [40]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Although it had sold-out performances, and received positive reviews,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-41 [41]]</sup> it ran for only 122 performances until September 29, 1941, with a brief revival in November of that year. Its subject matter did not make it appealing to Broadway; Ellington had unfulfilled plans to take it there.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-42 [42]]</sup> Despite this disappointment, a Broadway production of Ellington's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggar%27s_Holiday Beggar's Holiday]'', his sole book musical, premiered on December 23, 1946<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-43 [43]]</sup> under the direction of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Ray Nicholas Ray].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The settlement of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942-43_musicians%27_strike first recording ban of 1942–43], leading to an increase in royalties paid to musicians, had a serious effect on the financial viability of the big bands, including Ellington's Orchestra. His income as a songwriter ultimately subsidized it. Although he always spent lavishly and drew a respectable income from the Orchestra's operations, the band's income often just covered expenses.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-44 [44]]</sup></p>
 
===Early post-war years<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=8 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">World War II brought about a swift end to the big band era as musicians went off to serve in the military and travel restrictions made touring difficult. When the war ended, the focus of popular music shifted towards crooners such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra Frank Sinatra] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Stafford Jo Stafford], so Ellington's wordless vocal feature "Transblucency" (1946) with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Davis Kay Davis] was not going to have a similar reach. With inflation setting in after 1945, the cost of hiring big bands went up and club owners preferred smaller jazz groups who played in new styles such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop bebop].</p>
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jazz_musician_Duke_Ellington.JPEG][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jazz_musician_Duke_Ellington.JPEG]Ellington poses with his piano at the KFG Radio Studio November 3, 1954.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington continued on his own course through these tectonic shifts. While [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie Count Basie] was forced to disband his whole ensemble and work as an octet for a time, Ellington was able to tour most of Western Europe between 6 April and 30 June 1950, with the orchestra playing 74 dates over 77 days.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lawrence291_45-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Lawrence291-45 [45]]</sup> During the tour, according to Sonny Greer, the newer works were not performed, though Ellington's extended composition, ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_(Ellington) Harlem]'' (1950) was in the process of being completed at this time. Ellington later presented its score to music-loving President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Truman Harry Truman].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1951, Ellington suffered a significant loss of personnel: Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, and most importantly [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Hodges Johnny Hodges] left to pursue other ventures, although only Greer was a permanent departee. Drummer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Bellson Louie Bellson] replaced Greer, and his "Skin Deep" was a hit for Ellington. Tenor player [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gonsalves Paul Gonsalves]had joined in December 1950<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lawrence291_45-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Lawrence291-45 [45]]</sup> after periods with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie Count Basie] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizzy_Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie] and stayed for the rest of his life, while [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Terry Clark Terry] joined in November 1951.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-46 [46]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">During the early 50s, Ellington's career was at a low point with his style being generally seen as outmoded, but his reputation did not suffer as badly as some artists.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Previn André Previn] said in 1952: "You know, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Kenton Stan Kenton] can stand in front of a thousand fiddles and a thousand brass and make a dramatic gesture and every studio arranger can nod his head and say, ‘‘Oh, yes, that’s done like this.’’ But Duke merely lifts his finger, three horns make a sound, and I don’t know what it is!"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-47 [47]]</sup>However by 1955, after three years of recording for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Records Capitol], Ellington lacked a regular recording affiliation.</p>
 
===Career revival<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=9 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington's appearance at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Jazz_Festival Newport Jazz Festival] on July 7, 1956 returned him to wider prominence and introduced him to a new generation of fans. The feature "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminuendo_and_Crescendo_in_Blue Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue]" comprised two tunes that had been in the band's book since 1937 but largely forgotten until Ellington, who had abruptly ended the band's scheduled set because of the late arrival of four key players, called the two tunes as the time was approaching midnight. Announcing that the two pieces would be separated by an "interlude" played by tenor saxophonist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gonsalves Paul Gonsalves], Ellington proceeded to lead the band through the two pieces, with Gonsalves' 27-chorus marathon solo whipping the crowd into a frenzy, leading the Maestro to play way beyond the curfew time despite urgent pleas from Festive organizer[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wein George Wein] to bring the program to an end.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The concert made international headlines, led to one of only four ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(magazine) Time]'' magazine cover stories dedicated to a jazz musician<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-48 [48]]</sup> ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Monk Thelonious Monk], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Brubeck Dave Brubeck], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynton_Marsalis Wynton Marsalis] are the others) and resulted in an album produced by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Avakian George Avakian]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Sohmer_49-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Sohmer-49 [49]]</sup> that would become the best-selling long-playing recording of Ellington's career.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ironically though, much of the music on the vinyl LP was, in effect, "simulated", with only about 40% actually from the concert itself. According to Avakian, Ellington was dissatisfied with aspects of the performance and felt the musicians had been under rehearsed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Sohmer_49-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Sohmer-49 [49]]</sup> The band assembled the next day to re-record several of the numbers with the addition of artificial crowd noise, none of which was disclosed to purchasers of the album. Not until 1999 was the concert recording properly released for the first time. The revived attention brought about by the Newport appearance should not have surprised anyone, Johnny Hodges had returned the previous year, and Ellington's collaboration with Strayhorn had been renewed around the same time, under terms more amenable to the younger man.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The original ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellington_at_Newport Ellington at Newport]'' album was the first release in a new recording contract with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Records Columbia Records] which yielded several years of recording stability, mainly under producer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Townsend Irving Townsend], who coaxed both commercial and artistic productions from Ellington.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-50 [50]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1957, CBS (Columbia Record's parent corporation) aired a live television production of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Drum_Is_a_Woman A Drum Is a Woman]'', an allegorical suite which received mixed reviews. His hope that television would provide a significant new outlet for his type of jazz was not fulfilled. Tastes and trends had moved on without him. Festival appearances at the new [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Jazz_Festival Monterey Jazz Festival] and elsewhere provided venues for live exposure, and a European tour in 1958 was well received. ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Such_Sweet_Thunder Such Sweet Thunder]'' (1957), based on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare Shakespeare's] plays and characters, and ''The Queen's Suite'' (1958), dedicated to Britain's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_II_of_the_United_Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II], were products of the renewed impetus which the Newport appearance helped to create, although the latter work was not commercially issued at the time. The late 1950s also saw [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald] record her''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Fitzgerald_Sings_the_Duke_Ellington_Songbook Duke Ellington Songbook]'' (Verve) with Ellington and his orchestra—a recognition that Ellington's songs had now become part of the cultural canon known as the '[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Songbook Great American Songbook]'.</p>
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Stewart-Duke_Ellington_in_Anatomy_of_a_Murder_trailer.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Stewart-Duke_Ellington_in_Anatomy_of_a_Murder_trailer.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Stewart Jimmy Stewart] and Ellington in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_a_Murder Anatomy of a Murder]''.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington at this time (with Strayhorn) began to work directly on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_score scoring] for film soundtracks, in particular ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_a_Murder Anatomy of a Murder]'' (1959), with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart James Stewart], in which Ellington appeared fronting a roadhouse combo, and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Blues Paris Blues]'' (1961), which featured [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newman Paul Newman] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Poitier Sidney Poitier] as jazz musicians. ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Free_Press Detroit Free Press]'' music critic Mark Stryker concludes that the work of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn] and Ellington in ''Anatomy of a Murder'', a trial court drama film directed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Preminger Otto Preminger], is "indispensable, [although] . . . too sketchy to rank in the top echelon among Ellington-Strayhorn masterpiece suites like ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Such_Sweet_Thunder Such Sweet Thunder]'' and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_East_Suite The Far East Suite]'', but its most inspired moments are their equal."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-51 [51]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Film historians have recognized the soundtrack "as a landmark – the first significant Hollywood film music by African Americans comprising [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diegetic#Film_sound_and_music non-diegetic]music, that is, music whose source is not visible or implied by action in the film, like an on-screen band." The score avoided the cultural [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes stereotypes] which previously characterized jazz scores and rejected a strict adherence to visuals in ways that presaged the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_New_Wave New Wave] cinema of the ’60s".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-52 [52]]</sup> Ellington and Strayhorn, always looking for new musical territory, produced suites for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck John Steinbeck]'s novel ''Sweet Thursday'', [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky]'s ''Nutcracker Suite'' and[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Grieg Edvard Grieg]'s ''Peer Gynt''.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the early 1960s, Ellington embraced recording with artists who had been friendly rivals in the past, or were younger musicians who focused on later styles. The Ellington and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie Count Basie] orchestras recorded together. During a period when he was between recording contracts, he made records with[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong Louis Armstrong] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roulette_Records Roulette]), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Hawkins Coleman Hawkins], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane John Coltrane] (both for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse!_Records Impulse]) and participated in a session with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Mingus Charles Mingus] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Roach Max Roach] which produced the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_Jungle Money Jungle]'' ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Artists_Records United Artists]) album. He signed to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra Frank Sinatra]'s new [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reprise_Records Reprise label], but the association with the label was short-lived.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Musicians who had previously worked with Ellington returned to the Orchestra as members: Lawrence Brown in 1960 and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootie_Williams Cootie Williams] in 1962.</p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">"The writing and playing of music is a matter of intent.... You can't just throw a paint brush against the wall and call whatever happens art. My music fits the tonal personality of the player. I think too strongly in terms of altering my music to fit the performer to be impressed by accidental music. You can't take doodling seriously."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-current_12-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-current-12 [12]]</sup></p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">He was now performing all over the world; a significant part of each year was spent on overseas tours. As a consequence, he formed new working relationships with artists from around the world, including the Swedish vocalist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Babs Alice Babs], and the South African musicians [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_Ibrahim Dollar Brand] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathima_Bea_Benjamin Sathima Bea Benjamin] (''A Morning in Paris'', 1963/1997).</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington wrote an original score for director [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Langham Michael Langham]'s production of Shakespeare's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timon_of_Athens Timon of Athens]'' at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford_Shakespeare_Festival Stratford Festival] in Ontario, Canada which opened on July 29, 1963. Langham has used it for several subsequent productions, including a much later adaptation by Stanley Silverman which expands the score with some of Ellington's best-known works.</p>
 
===Last years<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=10 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Nixon_and_Duke_Ellington_1969.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Nixon_and_Duke_Ellington_1969.jpg]Ellington receiving the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom Presidential Medal of Freedom] from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon President Nixon], 1969.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Music Pulitzer Prize for Music] nominee in 1965 but was turned down.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Giddins_53-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-Giddins-53 [53]]</sup> Then 67 years old, he reacted: "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-tucker_54-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-tucker-54 [54]]</sup> In 1999 he was posthumously awarded a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize_Special_Citations_and_Awards special Pulitzer Prize] (not the Music prize), "commemorating the centennial year of his birth, in recognition of his musical genius, which evoked aesthetically the principles of democracy through the medium of jazz and thus made an indelible contribution to art and culture."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pulitzer_4-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-pulitzer-4 [4]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-55 [55]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In September 1965, the first of his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington%27s_Sacred_Concerts Sacred Concerts] was given its première. It was an attempt to fuse Christian liturgy with jazz, and even though it received mixed reviews, Ellington was proud of the composition and performed it dozens of times. This concert was followed by two others of the same type in 1968 and 1973, known as the Second and Third Sacred Concerts. This caused controversy in what was already a tumultuous time in the United States. Many saw the Sacred Music suites as an attempt to reinforce commercial support for organized religion, though Ellington simply said it was "the most important thing I've done".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-56 [56]]</sup> The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinway_%26_Sons Steinway] piano upon which the Sacred Concerts were composed is part of the collection of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian Smithsonian]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_American_History National Museum of American History]. Like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn Haydn] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart Mozart], Ellington conducted his orchestra from the piano – he always played the keyboard parts when the Sacred Concerts were performed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NMAH_57-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-NMAH-57 [57]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Despite his advancing age (he turned 65 in the spring of 1964), Ellington showed no sign of slowing down as he continued to make vital and innovative recordings, including ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_East_Suite The Far East Suite]'' (1966), ''New Orleans Suite'' (1970), ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_American_Suite Latin American Suite]'' (1972) and ''The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse'' (1971), much of it inspired by his world tours. It was during this time that he recorded his only album with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra Frank Sinatra], entitled ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_A._%26_Edward_K. Francis A. & Edward K.]'' (1967).</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington was awarded the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Lifetime_Achievement_Award Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award] in 1966. He was later awarded several other prizes, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom Presidential Medal of Freedom] in 1969, an Honorary PhD from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berklee_College_of_Music Berklee College of Music] in 1971, and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9gion_d%27honneur Legion of Honor] by France in 1973, the highest civilian honors in each country.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pulitzer_4-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-pulitzer-4 [4]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Although he made two more stage appearances before his death, Ellington performed what is considered his final "full" concert in a ballroom at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Illinois_University Northern Illinois University] on March 20, 1974.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-58 [58]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The last three shows Ellington and his orchestra performed were March 21, 1973 at Purdue University's Hall of Music (one show) and March 22, 1973 at the Sturges-Young Auditorium in Sturgis, Michigan (two shows).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-59 [59]]</sup></p>
 
==Personal life<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=11 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_1.JPG][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_1.JPG]Ellington in 1973<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington married his high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson (d.1967), on July 2, 1918, when he was 19. Shortly after their marriage, on March 11, 1919 Edna gave birth to their only son, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington was joined in New York City by his wife and son in the late twenties, but the couple soon permanently separated.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-60 [60]]</sup> According to her obituary in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_(magazine) Jet]'' magazine, she was "homesick for Washington" and returned (she died in 1967).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-61 [61]]</sup> In 1928, Ellington became the companion of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Dixon Mildred Dixon], who travelled with him, managed Tempo Music, inspired songs at the peak of his career and raised his son Mercer. In 1938 he left his family and moved in with Cotton Club employee Beatrice "Evie" Ellis. The relationship with Ellis, though stormy, continued after Ellington met Fernanda de Castro Monte in the early 1960s. Ellington supported both women for the rest of his life.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-62 [62]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington's sister Ruth (1915–2004) later ran Tempo Music, Ellington's music publishing company. Ruth's second husband was the bass-baritone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McHenry_Boatwright McHenry Boatwright], whom she met when he sang at her brother's funeral. Mercer (d. 1996) played trumpet and piano, led his own band and worked as his father's business manager, eventually taking full control of the band after Duke's death, and was an important archivist of his father's musical life.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington died on May 24, 1974 of complications from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer lung cancer] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonia pneumonia], a few weeks after his 75th birthday. His last words were, "Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-63 [63]]</sup> At his funeral, attended by over 12,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald] summed up the occasion, "It's a very sad day. A genius has passed."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-64 [64]]</sup> He was interred in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlawn_Cemetery_(Bronx,_New_York) Woodlawn Cemetery], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx The Bronx], New York City.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-65 [65]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Following Duke's death, his son Mercer took over leadership of the orchestra continuing until his own death in 1996. Like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie_Orchestra Count Basie Orchestra], this group continued to release albums long after Ellington's death. ''Digital Duke'', credited to The Duke Ellington Orchestra, won the 1988 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Large_Jazz_Ensemble_Album Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album]. Mercer Ellington had been handling all administrative aspects of his father's business for several decades. Mercer's children continue a connection with their grandfather's work.</p>
 
==Legacy<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=12 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
===Memorials<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=13 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_Grave_1024.jpg][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_Grave_1024.jpg]The grave of Duke Ellington<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Numerous memorials have been dedicated to Duke Ellington, in cities from New York and Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In Ellington's birthplace, Washington, D.C., the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington_School_of_the_Arts Duke Ellington School of the Arts] educates talented students, who are considering careers in the arts, by providing intensive arts instruction and strong academic programs that prepare students for post-secondary education and professional careers. Originally built in 1935, the Calvert Street Bridge was renamed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington_Bridge Duke Ellington Bridge] in 1974.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1989, a bronze plaque was attached to the newly named [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington_Building&action=edit&redlink=1 Duke Ellington Building] at 2121 Ward Place, NW.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-66 [66]]</sup> In 2012, the new owner of the building commissioned a mural by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniekan_Udofia Aniekan Udofia] that appears above the lettering "Duke Ellington".</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2010 the triangular park, across the street from Duke Ellington's birth site, at the intersection of New Hampshire and M Streets, NW was named the[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington_Park&action=edit&redlink=1 Duke Ellington Park].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-67 [67]]</sup> Ellington's residence at 2728 Sherman Avenue, NW, during the years 1919-1922,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-68 [68]]</sup> is marked by a bronze plaque.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">On February 24, 2009, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Mint United States Mint] launched a new coin featuring Duke Ellington, making him the first African American to appear by himself on a circulating U.S. coin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cnn_69-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-cnn-69 [69]]</sup> Ellington appears on the reverse ("tails") side of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. District of Columbia] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_(United_States_coin) quarter].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cnn_69-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-cnn-69 [69]]</sup> The coin is part of the U.S. Mint's program honoring the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_and_United_States_Territories_Quarter_Program District and the U.S. territories]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-mint_70-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-mint-70 [70]]</sup> and celebrates Ellington's birthplace in the District of Columbia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cnn_69-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-cnn-69 [69]]</sup> Ellington is depicted on the quarter seated at a piano, sheet music in hand, along with the inscription "Justice for All", which is the District's motto.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-mint_70-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-mint-70 [70]]</sup></p>
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2009_DC_Proof.png][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2009_DC_Proof.png]Ellington on the Washington, D.C. quarter released in 2009.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington lived for years in a townhouse on the corner of Manhattan's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Drive_(Manhattan) Riverside Drive] and West 106th Street. After his death, West 106th Street was officially renamed Duke Ellington Boulevard. A large memorial to Ellington, created by sculptor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Graham_(sculptor) Robert Graham], was dedicated in 1997 in New York's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park Central Park], near [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Avenue_(Manhattan) Fifth Avenue] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_Street_(Manhattan) 110th Street], an intersection named Duke Ellington Circle.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">A statue of Ellington at a piano is featured at the entrance to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California_at_Los_Angeles UCLA]'s Schoenberg Hall. According to ''UCLA Magazine'':</p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">When UCLA students were entranced by Duke Ellington's provocative tunes at a Culver City club in 1937, they asked the budding musical great to play a free concert in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royce_Hall Royce Hall]. 'I've been waiting for someone to ask us!' Ellington exclaimed.</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">On the day of the concert, Ellington accidentally mixed up the venues and drove to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Southern_California USC] instead. He eventually arrived at the UCLA campus and, to apologize for his tardiness, played to the packed crowd for more than four hours. And so, "Sir Duke" and his group played the first-ever jazz performance in a concert venue.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-71 [71]]</sup></p>
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essentially_Ellington_High_School_Jazz_Band_Competition_and_Festival Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival] is a nationally renowned annual competition for prestigious high school bands. Started in 1996 at[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_at_Lincoln_Center Jazz at Lincoln Center], the festival is named after Ellington because of the large focus that the festival places on his works.</p>
 
===Tributes<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=14 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Williams_(writer) Martin Williams] said: "Duke Ellington lived long enough to hear himself named among our best composers. And since his death in 1974, it has become not at all uncommon to see him named, along with[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ives Charles Ives], as the greatest composer we have produced, regardless of category."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-72 [72]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the opinion of Bob Blumenthal of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boston_Globe The Boston Globe]'' in 1999: "[i]n the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or otherwise, than Edward Kennedy Ellington."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-73 [73]]</sup></p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2002, scholar [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molefi_Kete_Asante Molefi Kete Asante] listed Duke Ellington on his list of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Greatest_African_Americans 100 Greatest African Americans].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-74 [74]]</sup></p>
 
 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_star_HWF.JPG][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duke_Ellington_star_HWF.JPG]Star on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame Hollywood Walk of Fame] at 6535 Hollywood Blvd.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">While his compositions are now the staple of the repertoire of music conservatories,<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height:1;white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed citation needed]'']</sup> they have been revisited by artists and musicians around the world both as a source of inspiration and a bedrock of their own performing careers.</p>
 
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Brubeck Dave Brubeck] dedicated "The Duke" (1954) to Ellington and it became a standard covered by others,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-75 [75]]</sup> both during Ellington's lifetime (such as by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis Miles Davis]on ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Ahead Miles Ahead]'', 1957) and posthumously (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Shearing George Shearing] on ''I Hear a Rhapsody: Live at the Blue Note'', 1992). The album ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Ambassadors The Real Ambassadors]''has a vocal version of this piece, "You Swing Baby (The Duke)", with lyrics by Iola Brubeck, Dave Brubeck's wife. It is performed as a duet between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong Louis Armstrong] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_McRae Carmen McRae]. It is also dedicated to Duke Ellington.
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis Miles Davis] created his half-hour [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirge dirge] "He Loved Him Madly" (on ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Up_with_It Get Up with It]'') as a tribute to Ellington one month after his death.
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder Stevie Wonder] wrote the song "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Duke Sir Duke]" as a tribute to Ellington in 1976.
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Jackson_(musician) Joe Jackson] interpreted Ellington's work on ''The Duke'' (2012)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-76 [76]]</sup> in new arrangements and with collaborations from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop Iggy Pop], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_Jones_(singer) Sharon Jones] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Vai Steve Vai].
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">There are hundreds of albums dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn by artists famous and obscure. The more notable artists include [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Stitt Sonny Stitt], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Monk Thelonious Monk], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizzy_Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Eckstine Billy Eckstine], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett Tony Bennett], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Bolling Claude Bolling], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson Oscar Peterson], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiko_Akiyoshi Toshiko Akiyoshi], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Hyman Dick Hyman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Pass Joe Pass], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milt_Jackson Milt Jackson], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Hines Earl Hines], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahsaan_Roland_Kirk Rahsaan Roland Kirk], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Previn André Previn], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Saxophone_Quartet World Saxophone Quartet], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Webster Ben Webster], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Sims Zoot Sims], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Burrell Kenny Burrell], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert,_Hendricks_and_Ross Lambert, Hendricks and Ross], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_Solal Martial Solal], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Terry Clark Terry] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Weston Randy Weston].</p>
 
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophisticated_Ladies Sophisticated Ladies]'', an award-winning 1981 musical revue, incorporated many tunes from Ellington's repertoire. A second Broadway musical interpolating Ellington's music, ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_On_(musical) Play On!]'', debuted in 1997.</p>
 
==Discography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=15 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
Main article: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington_discography Duke Ellington discography]==Awards<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=16 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>==
 
===Grammy Awards<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=17 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Ellington earned 12 Grammy awards from 1959 to 2000, three of which were posthumous.</p>
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;margin-right:0px;border-color:rgb(170,170,170);color:black;font-family:sans-serif;line-height:20.363636016845703px;"
 
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;" |'''Duke Ellington [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award Grammy Award] History'''<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-77 [77]]</sup>
 
|-
 
!Year
 
!Category
 
!Title
 
!Genre
 
!Result
 
|- align="center"
 
|1999
 
|Historical Album
 
|The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition
 
RCA Victor Recordings (1927–1973)
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1979
 
|Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
 
|Duke Ellington At Fargo, 1940 Live
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1976
 
|Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ellington_Suites The Ellington Suites]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1972
 
|Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_Brava_Suite Togo Brava Suite]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1971
 
|Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans_Suite New Orleans Suite]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1968
 
|Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Large Group
 
Or Soloist With Large Group
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...And_His_Mother_Called_Him_Bill ...And His Mother Called Him Bill]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1967
 
|Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Large Group
 
Or Soloist With Large Group
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_East_Suite Far East Suite]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1966
 
|Best Original Jazz Composition
 
|"In The Beginning God"
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1965
 
|Best Instrumental Jazz Performance -
 
Large Group Or Soloist With Large Group
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellington_%2766 Ellington '66]''
 
|Jazz
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1959
 
|Best Performance By A Dance Band
 
|''Anatomy of a Murder''
 
|Pop
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1959
 
|Best Musical Composition First Recorded
 
And Released In 1959
 
(More Than 5 Minutes Duration)
 
|''Anatomy of a Murder''
 
|Composing
 
|Winner
 
|- align="center"
 
|1959
 
|Best Sound Track Album – Background Score
 
From A Motion Picture Or Television
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_a_Murder Anatomy of a Murder]''
 
|Composing
 
|Winner
 
|}
 
===Grammy Hall of Fame<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=18 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Recordings of Duke Ellington were inducted into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Hall_of_Fame_Award Grammy Hall of Fame], which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance".</p>
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;margin-right:0px;border-color:rgb(170,170,170);color:black;font-family:sans-serif;line-height:20.363636016845703px;"
 
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center;" |'''Duke Ellington: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Hall_of_Fame_Award Grammy Hall of Fame Award]'''<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-78" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-78 [78]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-79" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-79 [79]]</sup>
 
|-
 
!Year Recorded
 
!Title
 
!Genre
 
!Label
 
!Year Inducted
 
|- align="center"
 
|1932
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Don%27t_Mean_a_Thing_(If_It_Ain%27t_Got_That_Swing) It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Brunswick
 
|2008
 
|- align="center"
 
|1934
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktails_for_Two Cocktails for Two]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Victor
 
|2007
 
|- align="center"
 
|1957
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellington_at_Newport Ellington at Newport]''
 
|Jazz (Album)
 
|Columbia
 
|2004
 
|- align="center"
 
|1956
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminuendo_and_Crescendo_in_Blue Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Columbia
 
|1999
 
|- align="center"
 
|1967
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Far_East_Suite Far East Suite]''
 
|Jazz (Album)
 
|RCA
 
|1999
 
|- align="center"
 
|1944
 
|''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black,_Brown_and_Beige Black, Brown and Beige]''
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|RCA Victor
 
|1990
 
|- align="center"
 
|1928
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tan_Fantasy Black and Tan Fantasy]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Victor
 
|1981
 
|- align="center"
 
|1941
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_the_%22A%22_Train Take the "A" Train]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Victor
 
|1976
 
|- align="center"
 
|1931
 
|"[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_Indigo Mood Indigo]"
 
|Jazz (Single)
 
|Brunswick
 
|1975
 
|}
 
===Honors and inductions<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[</span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duke_Ellington&action=edit&section=19 edit]<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">]</span></span>===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:13.63636302947998px;margin-right:0px;border-color:rgb(170,170,170);color:black;font-family:sans-serif;line-height:20.363636016845703px;"
 
!Year
 
!Category
 
!Notes
 
|- align="center"
 
|2009
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_State_Quarters Commemorative U.S. quarter]
 
|D.C. and U.S. Territories Quarters Program.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-80" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-80 [80]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wapo_81-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-wapo-81 [81]]</sup>
 
|- align="center"
 
|2008
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gennett_Records Gennett Records] Walk of Fame
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|2004
 
|Nesuhi Ertegün Jazz Hall of Fame
 
at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_at_Lincoln_Center Jazz at Lincoln Center]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1999
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Pulitzer_Prize Pulitzer Prize]
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize_Special_Citations_and_Awards Special Citation]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pulitzer_4-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-pulitzer-4 [4]]</sup>
 
|- align="center"
 
|1992
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_Jazz_Hall_of_Fame Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1986
 
|22¢ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_on_stamps_of_the_United_States commemorative U.S. stamp]
 
|Issued April 29, 1986<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-82" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-82 [82]]</sup>
 
|- align="center"
 
|1978
 
|Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1973
 
|French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_Honor Legion of Honor]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-83" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-83 [83]]</sup>
 
|July 6, 1973
 
|- align="center"
 
|1973
 
|Honorary Degree in Music from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University Columbia University]
 
|May 16, 1973
 
|- align="center"
 
|1971
 
|Honorary Doctorate Degree from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berklee_College_of_Music Berklee College of Music]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1971
 
|Honorary Doctor of Music from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_University Howard University]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-84" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-84 [84]]</sup>
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1971
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductees_of_the_Songwriters_Hall_of_Fame Songwriters Hall of Fame]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1969
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_recipients Presidential Medal of Freedom]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1968
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Trustees_Award Grammy Trustees Award]
 
|Special Merit Award
 
|- align="center"
 
|1967
 
|Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University Yale University]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-85" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-85 [85]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-86" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington#cite_note-86 [86]]</sup>
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1966
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Lifetime_Achievement_Award Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1959
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spingarn_Medal NAACP Spingarn Medal]
 
|
 
|- align="center"
 
|1956
 
|[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_Beat Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame inductee]
 
|
 
|}
 
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