Duke Ellington spent much of
his professional career in motion-traveling with his group from one performance
to the next, composing aboard trains and planes and in automobiles, and living
out of suitcases in an endless series of hotel rooms as he took his music to
audiences across the globe. Orchestra landed a job at the Cotton Club, one of New
York's premier nightspots. Listeners around the nation could tune into the
sounds of Duke Ellington's orchestra through broadcasts on NBC. Twelve pieces,
three reeds, three trumpets, two trombones, and four in the rhythm section.
Ellington was a composer and
bandleader. First Trip, toured Europe in 1933 performed for nearly six weeks in
Britain before traveling to the continent for arrivals in Holland and France.
Ellington’s group was: singer Ivie Anderson and the dancers Bessie Dudley, Bill
Bailey, Derby Wilson and Duke Ellington piano. Performances took place in movie
houses, concert halls, and variety theaters, beginning with two weeks at
London's famous Palladium.
The three-minute length of a
78-rpm records the four part Reminiscing in Tempo (1935) and the two-part
Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue (1937). The
musical Jump for Joy (1941) and the "tone parallel" Black, Brown and
Beige (1943). Echoes of Harlem ((1936), Azure (1937), Braggin' in Brass (1938),
Battle of Swing, Blue Light, and The Sergeant Was Shy (1939), Jack the Bear,
Harlem Air Shaft, Concerto for Cootie, Ko-Ko, and Cotton Tail (1940), and Main
Stem (1942); also recorded in pared-down musical settings, small groups, duets
for piano and bass, occasionally as solo pianist.
Duke Ellington was raised by
two talented, musical parents in a middle-class neighborhood of Washington DC,
James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy. His sister Ruth Ellington Boatwright
(younger sister died March 6, 2004 at age 88). Ellington then married his high
school sweetheart Edna Thompson at the age of 19 on July
2, 1918. Then divorced her and had one son Mercer born March 11, 1919, then
died February 8, 1996. Then later on, Ellington Mildred Dixon then divorced
her. Beatrice Ellis was Ellington’s girlfriend, ("Evie", cohabited as
common-law wife). Ellington was born April 29, 1899 and died on May 24, 1974 at
the age of 75, Ellington died from lung cancer and pneumonia.
Ellington attended Armstrong
High School (1917) in Washington DC. He passed up a scholarship to Pratt
Institute in New York, so that he could continue to study music. Ellington
never went to college. He dropped out in the middle of his high school career.
At age nineteen without a high school diploma he married Edna Thompson.
His honors cover a wide
range: The NAACP, Pulitzer, The Grammy's, the Jazz hall of fame and the
Songwriters Hall of Fame have all noted his artistic contributions. He has been
awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honor.
Honored and Famous, yes and entitled to every award.
Your podcast isn't working because you exported it as a wav file not mp3. I had to go to your P drive to listen to it. That's where I noticed the wav file. Your recording was good but volume was too low. I had it up full and could hardly hear it. With that said, you did do a nice job with your introduction and closing. The body of the podcast was at a good speed and provided lots of interesting information.
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