Duke Ellington and His WorldBased on lengthy interviews with Ellington's bandmates, family, and friends, Duke Ellington and His World offers a fresh look at this legendary composer. The first biography of the composer written by a fellow musician and African-American, the book traces Ellington's life and career in terms of the social, cultural, political, and economic realities of his times. Beginning with his birth in Washington, DC, through his first bands and work at the legendary Cotton Club, to his final great extended compositions, this book gives a thorough introduction to Ellington's music and how it was made. It also illuminates his personal life because, for Ellington, music was his life and his life was a constant inspiration for music. |
Contents
Chapters One through FortyFive | 1 |
Epilogue | 337 |
Chronology | 338 |
Biographies | 353 |
Major Ellington Bands and Their Members | 365 |
Compositions by Duke Ellington | 379 |
| 393 | |
Sources | 395 |
| 405 | |
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Common terms and phrases
A/B Sax Ain’t arrangement arrived audience Ballroom band members band’s bandleader bass Bechet began Benny Bigard Billy Strayhorn Blues broadcast Broadway Brunswick Bubber Calloway Chicago clarinet composer composition Cootie Williams Cotton Club Courtesy Frank Driggs Creole dance dancer Duke Ellington Duke’s Ellington band Ellington orchestra Ellington’s music engagement featured film Fletcher Henderson Frank Driggs Collection Fred Guy Hall Hardwick Harlem Harry Carney heard hired Ibid instrument Irving Mills Ivie Anderson jazz Jimmy Johnny Hodges Johnson joined the band Kentucky Club later Lawrence Brown Louis Love Luis Russell Mercer Ellington Mercer recalled Miley Miley’s Mills’s Mood Indigo mother musicians Nanton never night performance pianist piano player Pop songs Ray Nance recording session revue Rhapsody Rhythm Russell Sacred Concert saxophone Schuller score singer singing Smith solo Sonny Greer Theater Tizol Toby told tour trombone trumpet Victor Vodery Washington Washingtonians week Whetsol wrote York