The History of Jazz Music and the Life of Duke Ellington

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The Life of Duke Ellington
Introduction
In the history of jazz music, Duke Ellington was the most renowned composer and bandleader who led his large group and held it together for almost 50 years. He used his band as a musical laboratory to shape out new compositions as well as showcase his band members’ talents, many of whom never left his band for a long time. Duke also wrote films score and stage musicals, and many of his instrumental works were incorporated into standard songs. He did a lot of tours over the years and made many recordings resulting into a huge volume of musical work that was enjoyed a quarter century after his death (Ruhlmann). His reputation has increased after his death, with the packaging of his signature music mostly becoming the best-seller. By the time of his death, he had written approximately two thousand compositions, including musical comedies, music for ballet and motion pictures, an opera, and many instrumental and short songs (NHA p 1). This paper discusses the life of Duke Ellington, his upbringing, the beginning of his career, the growth of his career, and the composition of his work
Duke’s Early Years
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, DC. He was raised in a middle-class home. His father, James Edward Ellington was a White House butler therefor he provided his family a comfortable surroundings. Ellington had a religious background and as a child, he attended two church services, one with his mother at the Methodist Church and the other with his father at a traditional Baptist church (Lloyd p 10). As the young teens of his time he started his night life in his late teens and he no longer attended church services regularly. However, he never lost his root in religion and later in his tours he became friends with several priests and pastors. He would later form a religious jazz group called Sacred Concert (Lloyd 2009 p 10).
Duke started playing piano as early when he was seven years old. However, Duke was not very much interested with piano lessons in his early years. His interest to the piano would later blossom in his teenage years. He got a lot of encouragement from his mother who also played piano and she oversaw his education. He dropped out of high school in 1917 during his junior year with an aim of pursuing his career in music (Ruhlmann). His piano education, though, was unique because he taught himself through listening to local piano players. The piano player was astonished by the young, likeable boy’s passion for music and they assisted and guided him to practice constantly as he tried to imitate the lively ragtime tunes the played and trying to perfect the music sound (Ruhlmann). When he finally became famous he always accredited them for the crucial part they took in the making his career ambition into a reality.
The Start of Duke’s Great Career
By the time he was seventeen years he started playing piano professionally. He could also play piano at high school parties in a musical style known as ragtime. Ellington had been nicknamed Duke because of his dignified behavior, fashionable way of dressing as well his astonishing personality. He soon formed a small dance band called The Dukes Serenaders (NHA p1). After being known in Washington as a piano player, Duke began composing his own music. By this time, Duke had realized that many people were entertained by his music and this encouraged him to compose even more. Audience of all ages enjoyed his music and showmanship. The youth of the time were particularly intrigued by the lively modern pieces he composed.
Musical Breakthrough In New York
He moved to New York in 1923 at the age of 24 at an area known as Harlem, which was the residence of a thriving African American musical community. He formed his own band in 1924 known as the Washingtonians together with another musician he had known in Washington and became the group leader. It was composed of twelve members who were talented and interested in music. By the year 1927, the Washingtonians band had gained a small base of fans and this enabled Ellington’s band to secure an engagement at a Harlem’s popular and prestigious club known as the Cotton Club (pbs.org). This marked a great turning point in Ellington’s career, enabling him to have access to a larger audience through the use of recordings and radio.
He later added more musicians and renamed his group name to Duke Ellington and The Cotton Club Orchestra. Ellington unlike other great bandleader personally created the majority music to be played by his orchestra (NHA p 1). Using his musical insight and sensitivity, Duke wrote pieces of music designed for specific players in his orchestra. He created a body of original and innovative music by w...