A collection of writings by and about Duke Ellington and his place in jazz history.

A collection of writings by and about Duke Ellington and his place in jazz history.

A major new biography of Duke Ellington from the acclaimed author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was the greatest jazz composer of the twentieth century—and an impenetrably enigmatic personality whom no one, not even his closest friends, claimed to understand. The grandson of a slave, he dropped out of high school to become one of the world’s most famous musicians, a showman of incomparable suavity who was as comfortable in Carnegie Hall as in the nightclubs where he honed his style. He wrote some fifteen hundred compositions, many of which, like “Mood Indigo” and “Sophisticated Lady,” remain beloved standards, and he sought inspiration in an endless string of transient lovers, concealing his inner self behind a smiling mask of flowery language and ironic charm. As the biographer of Louis Armstrong, Terry Teachout is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the public and private lives of Duke Ellington. A semi-finalist for the National Book Award, Duke peels away countless layers of Ellington’s evasion and public deception to tell the unvarnished truth about the creative genius who inspired Miles Davis to say, “All the musicians should get together one certain day and get down on their knees and thank Duke.”

For nearly fifty years, Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington was one of America's most famous musicians. Tucker traces Ellington's childhood and young adult years in Washington, D. C. where he got his start as a ragtime pianist, and also draws on accounts from newspapers, periodicals, and trade publications.

A brief recounting of the career of this jazz musician and composer who, along with his orchestra, created music that was beyond category.

How did a working-class young man from Washington, DC, turn the music world on its head and become the "Master Of Jazz"? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library! A pivotal fixture of the Harlem Renaissance, Duke Ellington was the bandleader of the historic Cotton Club and a master composer -- writing close to 3,000 songs in his lifetime and capturing the spirit of the Black experience in the Unites States. Over a 50-year career, Ellington became one of the biggest names in jazz as we know it. He went on to win 13 Grammys, a Pulitzer, and receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. Who Was Duke Ellington? follows the exciting, multifaceted journey of this musical genius and takes a look at what truly makes Ellington an artist "beyond category."

Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington and his music have been an intregral part of the American scene for most of the 20th Century. Janna Tull Steed introduces the readers to the engaging, enigmatic man himself, as well as to the range of Ellington's musical achievement, with a lively mix of fact and anecdote.