NAME __________________
DATE __________________
Music Appreciation
Duke Ellington: 1899 – 1974
DIRECTIONS:
Read the following text excerpted from the website http://www.dukeellington.com and
answer the questions on the back of this sheet.
By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians.
The French government honored him with their highest award, the Legion of Honor, while the government
of the United States bestowed upon him the highest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He
played for the royalty and for the common people and by the end of his 50-year career, he had played
over 20,000 performances worldwide. He was The Duke, Duke Ellington.
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born into the world on April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C. Duke’s parents,
Daisy Kennedy Ellington and James Edward Ellington, served as ideal role models for young Duke, and
taught him everything from proper table manners to an understanding of the emotional power of music.
Duke’s first piano lessons came around the age of seven or eight and appeared not to have had that
much lasting effect upon him. It seemed as if young Duke was more inclined to baseball at a young age.
Duke got his first job selling peanuts at Washington Senator’s baseball games. This was the first time
Duke was placed as a "performer" for a crowd and had to first get over his stage fright. At the age of 14,
Duke began sneaking into Frank Holliday’s poolroom. His experiences from the poolroom taught him to
appreciate the value in mixing with a wide range of people. As Duke’s piano lessons faded into the past,
Duke began to show a flare for the artistic. Duke attended Armstrong Manual Training School to study
commercial art instead of going to an academics-oriented school. Duke began to seek out and listen to
ragtime pianists in Washington and, during the summers, in Philadelphia or Atlantic City, where he and
his mother vacationed. Thus the music career of Duke Ellington was born.
Duke was taken under the wings of Oliver "Doc" Perry and Louis Brown, who taught Duke how to read
music and helped improve his overall piano playing skills. Duke found piano playing jobs at clubs and
cafes throughout the Washington area. Three months shy of graduation, Duke dropped out of school and
began his professional music career.
In late 1917, Duke formed his first group: The Duke’s Serenaders. Between 1918 and 1919, Duke made
three significant steps towards independence. First, he moved out of his parents’ home and into a home
he bought for himself. Second, Duke became his own booking agent for his band. By doing so, Ellington’s
band was able to play throughout the Washington area and into Virginia for private society balls and
embassy parties. Finally, Duke married Edna Thompson and on March 11, 1919, Mercer Kennedy
Ellington was born.
In 1923, Duke left the security that Washington offered him and moved to New York. Through the power
of radio, listeners throughout New York had heard of Duke Ellington, making him quite a popular
musician. It was also in that year that Duke made his first recording. Ellington and his renamed band, The
Washingtonians, established themselves during the prohibition era by playing at places like the Exclusive
Club, Connie’s Inn, the Hollywood Club (Club Kentucky), Ciro’s, the Plantation Club, and most importantly
the Cotton Club. Thanks to the rise in radio receivers and the industry itself, Duke’s band was broadcast
across the nation live on "From the Cotton Club." The band’s music, along with their popularity, spread
rapidly.
In 1928, Ellington and Irving Mills signed an agreement in which Mills produced and published Ellington’s
music. Recording companies like Brunswick, Columbia, and Victor came calling. Duke’s band became the
most sought-after band in the United States and even throughout the world.
Some of Ellington’s greatest works include "Rockin’ in Rhythm," "Satin Doll," "New Orleans," "A Drum is a
Women," "Take the 'A' Train," "Happy-Go-Lucky Local," "The Mooche," and "Crescendo in Blue."
Duke Ellington and his band went on to play everywhere from New York to New Delhi, Chicago to Cairo,
and Los Angeles to London. Ellington and his band played with such greats as Miles Davis, Cab
Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Louis Armstrong. They entertained everyone
from Queen Elizabeth II to President Nixon. Before passing away in 1974, Duke Ellington wrote and
recorded hundreds of musical compositions, all of which will continue to have a lasting effect upon people
worldwide for a long time to come.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. When did Duke Ellington begin to play the piano?
2. Where did Ellington listen to other ragtime performers? List 3 places.
3. What did “doc” Perry and Louis Brown do for Ellington?
4. How did Ellington become a popular musician?
5. What places did Ellington’s band play? Which one was the most important? Why?
6. How many performances did Ellington play throughout his lifetime? Where did he perform
them?
6. How many compositions did Ellington record? Name 3 of them:
A.
B.
C.