Duke Ellington: biography, best songs, interesting facts, listen

Duke Ellington

Of course, it would not be an exaggeration to say that if there was no Duke Ellington in jazz music of the 20th century, her fate could have been completely different. His strong-willed character and indestructible belief in his own uniqueness were so strong that Ellington was raised to the very top, from where he looked down on other performers. Possessing perseverance, desperate determination and complex character, he did not recognize the authorities, and it was this that allowed him to rise above all and leave behind a huge layer of jazz music that is in demand and is still performed all over the world. Ellington's extraordinary charisma and his subtle sense of style have done their job - there is no more respected jazz musician. And it is quite natural, because it was precisely this that he aspired all his life to become a world celebrity, a man whom the whole world worships.

short biography

Oddly enough, "Duke" - not the native name of the musician. The family, in which a boy was born on January 5, 1897, was named by Edward Kennedy Ellington. It was with this name that he lived all his childhood and youth, feeling his superiority over others. Considering himself an outstanding personality, the little boy called himself a noble duke (noble title), and this nickname firmly adhered to him for the rest of his life. So strong that it actually became his real name.

Ellington's childhood took place in an atmosphere of universal love and prosperity. His father, James Edward, did not spare his strength to earn as much money as possible, which he spent with incredible ease. Mother - Daisy Kennedy, never needed anything, so it is only natural that Duke Ellington's childhood was safer than that of many “colored” ones of that time. It was Daisy Kennedy who inspired the boy that he would become a world celebrity, and it was thanks to this suggestion that he succeeded.

At the age of seven, Duke began to teach music and playing the piano, to which he showed absolutely no interest, doing just as much as he had asked. However, these studies contributed to the fact that when Ellington was still interested in music and chose this particular musical instrument.

At age 14, he began to really get involved in music and achieved some success. Not possessing a virtuoso technique and sufficient education, Duke Ellington nevertheless became a frequenter of the visited bars, in which he had considerable success as a performer.

Duke never showed interest in learning, so he could not get a normal education. While studying at Armstrong High Technical School, Duke dropped out and began to live in his own pleasure.

At the age of 17, he began to visit the House of True Reformers, where he gathered a small ensemble. Soon the young man became his regular participant and at the same time gradually learned some of the foundations of the theory. It is with this team in 1922 Ellington will go to conquer New York.

Thanks to clarinetist Will Suetman, the entire ensemble already in 1923 worked in the most prestigious institution of New York - Lafayette Theater. Unfortunately, they failed to gain a foothold in the city, so the team had to return to their native Washington with nothing.

Deciding to continue what they have begun, the ensemble takes on the sonorous name of the Washington Black Sox Orchestra and soon they manage to find work in Atlantic City. Soon, thanks to his acquaintance with the singer Ada Smith, the ensemble again moves to Ny-York, this time in the "Barrons Exclusive Club" - the place where the Negro elite is concentrated. After some time, they get a job at the Hollywood Inn, and Duke Ellington becomes the head of the ensemble, who begins to work on changing the composition and style of the music played. Searching for performers mainly from New Orleans, he followed the influence of time, as people who played in the style of hot-style were in fashion. At the same time, he tries to compose music, having met Joe Trent, a poet and composer with great connections. February 22, 1924 Ellington becomes the official leader of the Washingtonians ensemble.

Unfortunately, all the outstanding Negro musical groups and individual performers of the time were under the auspices of the gangsters. So Ellington had to think about how to get out of this bondage position. It was just the way to get acquainted with Irving Mills, a very energetic publisher who saw future celebrity in Duke. He became a powerful patron for Ellington, and he eventually made him a star known to the whole world. Without his help, “Washingtonians” would have been content with performances at nightclubs and occasional side jobs. It is thanks to Mills Ellington began to compose his own compositions in a much larger number, which played an important role in the fame of the team. By 1927, the group began to be called "Duke Ellington and his orchestra" - now all decisions were made only by Ellington, and participants had no right to vote. But none of them left the orchestra, and this fact alone speaks of Duke’s great mastery as a leader.

Soon the orchestra performances moved to the Cotton Club, the most popular nightclub in Harlem.

In 1929, the Ellington orchestra became very famous, his name often flashes in the newspapers, and the musical level of the collective is rated very high. Since 1931, the orchestra began touring activities, traveling and giving concerts throughout Europe. Duke begins to write his own works and receives recognition, including as a composer.

In 1950, an irreparable thing happened for Ellington - due to the fact that jazz gradually went into oblivion, his orchestra was useless to no one, and talented musicians began to leave it. But after 6 years, everything changed - a renewed interest in jazz allowed Duke to regain his former glory. New contracts, tours and live recordings bring Ellington international fame.

All subsequent years, Elington gave concerts with his orchestra around the globe, giving performances in Japan, Great Britain, Ethiopia, the USA, the Soviet Union and many other countries.

Ellingon lived to 75 years, until the very last moment he remained faithful to music, considering it the only thing worthy of love. He died of lung cancer in 1974, and this death was a tragedy for the whole world.

Interesting Facts

• The first teacher to teach Duke music was Marietta Clinkscales, who lived in the next house (clink - clinking of glasses, scale - musical scale).
• Duke hated formal education. Therefore, the proposals to graduate from any musical institution have always refused.

• Often he chose soloists for specific works solely because of their proper manner of performance.
• Ellington's first musical mentor was pianist Willie "Lion" Smith. From him, Duke took over some of the characteristics of his performance.
• While touring around the world, he considered Ny York to be his home - the place where he first felt that he was part of an elite society.
• His wife was Edna Thompson - the girl next door, whom he met at school. Married in 1918, a year later they celebrated the birth of a son, who was named Mercer.
• The style of play of the Ellington ensemble “Washingtonians” was largely formed due to the influence of the trumpeter Babber Miley - it was he who became the source of new ideas for Duke, giving out great musical phrases and turns.
• Duke simply adored power and his leadership position. The musicians who worked with him noted that he always remained the master of the situation, whatever happened around.

• Freddie Guy - Performer on banjo - played with Ellington together for 24 years. He was the only one of the participants whom Duke was allowed to visit.
• Duke rarely praised his musicians.
• Thanks to clarinetist Sydney Beshe, Ellington's ensemble was able to master the jazz style of New Orleans, which contributed to the rapid success of this group.
• Ellington drove the car perfectly, but preferred to use the driving services of his musician - Harry Carney.
• Impresario Duke - Irving Mills - shamelessly profited from Ellington, receiving money not only for publishing, but also for copyright. Each thing that Duke composed was contractually owned by Mills.
• At one time, his manager was Joe Glazer, a man with criminal connections, who worked with such stars as Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday.
• He became the winner 11 times and was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Music.

• Ellington wrote his only book - the autobiography "Music is my beloved." For her, he posthumously received the Pulitzer Prize.
• The famous trombonist and composer Juan Tizol worked for 15 years in the orchestra of Duke Ellington. Having a great musical experience, he often rehearsed the orchestra instead of Duke.
• Many of Duke's musicians came from poor families, spoke in a slang language, did not shun alcohol and drugs. But because of their performance skills and Ellington's generosity, they worked in his orchestra for many years.
• In his last days, Ellington held on only through injections, continuing to work continuously on music.

Top songs

"Take the 'A' Train" - a wonderful melody with an easily recognizable imitation of a train at the very beginning of the brass immediately caught the fancy of listeners and became one of the things in the repertoire of each jazz band.

"Take the 'A' Train" (listen)

"Satin Doll" - a leisurely saxophone theme, interrupted by brass inserts, and then a sudden "tutti", leaves the impression of some understatement. Truly unusual jazz composition.

"Satin Doll" (listen)

"C-Jam Blues" - in the title itself the essence of the work is already laid - these are unpretentious singing and sequences around the “do” note, performed by various instruments.

"C-Jam Blues" (listen)

"Caravan" - the most famous composition, written in 1936.

"Caravan" (listen)

Duke Ellington and Religion

As it happens quite often, people who are not connected with religion all their lives become mature followers of the faith in adulthood. The same thing happened with Duke. Of course, in his childhood, he often attended church, and his mother loved to talk to him about God. But until the beginning of 1950 there was not the slightest hint that Ellington was interested in religion. Strange as it may sound, in the mid-1950s, Duke announced that he was "God's messenger" and was simply obliged to devote his life to serving the Lord. According to numerous testimonies of his friends, he really began to sit up with the Bible until late at night.

For that time, a special understanding of faith in God was accepted - the person had to be forgiving, good and not remember the evil done to him by other people. That is how Ellington became. In some of his works he promoted these ideas, for example, in the composition "Black, Brown and Beige". But it was not systematically worn, until 1965, when he was offered what he dreamed about. He received a large order for spiritual music from a priest from San Francisco, the abbot of the Cathedral of the grace of the Lord. The church had just been opened, and it needed an advertising campaign, and a concert by such a star as Duke, and with specially composed works, was to create a sensation.

Taking up the work, he composed his First Brass Concert, performed in the church in 1965. The plays included in it are written in various styles: jazz, choral music and vocal arias. Despite the inconsistency of the numbers, the concert was generally successful and inspired Ellington to write the next cycle.

In 1968, the premiere of the Second Spiritual Concert took place. Unfortunately, due to the huge length (as much as 80 minutes), boring stretched pieces and primitive music, the concert failed. In addition, Ellington, speaking as a libretto poet and writer, turned out to be a rather bad writer. All the lyrics of the concert are utterly banal and replete with inappropriate jokes and jokes.

The third brass concert was performed in 1973. Ellington was asked to hold a premiere at Westminster Abbey and he immediately agreed. This presentation was timed to United Nations Day. All the works of the concert are permeated with themes about love, and the music in it has become much better quality than before.

Films with Duke Ellington and his music

Like any self-respecting jazz musician, Ellington starred in many films, shows and TV shows. It was a prerequisite of the time, otherwise it was simply impossible to keep the zenith of fame. In addition, he wrote 7 full soundtracks for movies, and in 1952 he even tried himself as one of the directors on the TV show Today.

• "Check and Double Check" (1930)
• "Advice to the Lovelorn" (1933)
• "Murder at the Vanities" (1934)
• "Air Force" (1943)
• "The Mouse Comes to Dinner" (1945)
• "This Could Be the Night" (1957)
• "Anatomy of Murder" (1959)
• The Paris Blues (1961)
• "Change of consciousness" (1969)
• "Teresa la ladra" (1973)
• "Reborn" (1981)
• "Envoyez les violons" (1988)
• "Minority Report" (2002)
• "Nature Photographs" (2016)
• "Darker Than You Think" (2017)

Despite the obvious contribution to world art, Ellington's legacy is very contradictory. Along with the ingenious things that come from the depths of the soul, he can find works that are very superficial both in terms of music and in terms of text. And some, such as Spiritual Concerts or major author suites, are usually generally hushed up by music critics, as if they were not.

The fact is that Duke rarely listened to someone's advice. He always did what his heart said - and he had amazing music that made him a jazz master of the first magnitude. But sometimes another part of it came into play, which wanted to compete with classical musicians in Europe, recognized by the world. Then things came out from under his pen, in which he did not invest himself. You cannot call them copied, but Ellington's inner world is not felt in them.

Where the composer’s mastery really manifested itself was in dozens, if not hundreds, of short jazz pieces. Here he fully revealed his creative potential and it was for these compositions that he became a recognized music legend, a man without whom modern jazz would look very different.

Great help Ellington received from their musicians. Many ideas, melodies, and sometimes whole works were born in the heads of his performers. And Duke masterfully created on their basis outstanding things, full of jazz fire and inner strength. The very works for which we love him.