Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington (1899-1974), a composer, conductor and pianist, was one of the most respected figures in the history of jazz, bringing jazz into concert halls and religious services. Born Edward Kenned... Read more
Duke Ellington (1899-1974), a composer, conductor and pianist, was one of the most respected figures in the history of jazz, bringing jazz into concert halls and religious services. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C., he played professionally from the age of 17. In 1923 he moved to New York City and organized a ten-piece band. Through the 1930s and 1940s Ellington and his band, greatly enlarged, appeared in theatres and nightclubs, on the radio and in foreign tours.