Duke Ellington

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. A prominent figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, and world tours. Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, or big band, and thanks to his eloquence and extraordinary charisma, he is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional genres of music. His reputation increased after his death, the Pulitzer Prize Board bestowing a special posthumous honor in 1999.