Remembering The Great American Duke Of Jazz

 

Smooth, high brow, faultless, sophisticated, American. All of these words describe the music that came out of the world of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington as a composer, performer, and conductor. For fifty years he defined jazz in his own way with his superbly talented jazz orchestra, surviving the onslaught of bebop, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll. His discography includes over seventy hit records out of hundreds of releases spanning seven decades. Here is perhaps his most celebrated song, credited primarily to Ellington's extraordinarily talentd composer and arranger, Billy Strayhorn.

Ellington was born on this day in Washington, D. C., in 1899. He formed a band while in his teens and played the circuit in and around the nation's capital before moving to New York. There, his creative fervor and gentlemanly demeanor made him an influential force in the Harlem Renaissance. He was a star much appreciated in Europe as well as the United States by the mid '30s. His collaboration with the brilliant composer and arranger, Billy Strayhorn, later in that decade and again in the '60s enhanced his fame and helped him bridge gaps between jazz and other musical genres.

Ellington passed away over forty years ago and with his passing the nation lost both a legendary technician at the piano and its strongest advocate for the American musical invention called jazz. Readers can learn more about this extraordinary entertainer by visit his Wikipedia page, by far the most comprehensive source of Ellington information and references on the Internet. I also recommend Terry Teachout's fine biography, Duke, published in 2015.  

As it so happens this year Ellington's birthday weekend coincides with Sunday's appearance of the second new moon of the month, commonly known as the Black Moon. That's a perfect setting for enjoying a few of his compositions about the moon and the moods it elicits in the hands of a music master.

We end with a historic moment in jazz history: Duke Ellington and his orchestra at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. Jazz was changing from a dance band to smaller ensemble format and at the same time competing with the rise of rock and roll. Ellington decided to link two compositions with a free-wheeling sax solo. Many jazz historians agree that this was a landmark performance that not only gave the band concept renewed life but also gave jazz a new and expanded direction in sound and listener experience.

The conclusion is obvious: Ellington was an amazing force in American music history.