Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington D.C.
One of Ellington’s high school friends gave him the name Duke, figuring, and
rightly so, that the noble name would give them more clout at parties,
well it would help them to get in anyways.
Now because of Duke’s regal style his nickname stuck and
we still are at it today calling him Duke.
He began playing the piano at a very young age 7 or 8 you know.
The age that you really don’t feel like playing the piano.
He even had a piano teacher name Mrs. Clinkscales. I am serious.
Now when Duke became a young man I am talking about 24 years old
he moved to New York.
There were many great pianists living in NY at that time and Duke was smart
he learned from all of them.
Duke went on to form a band with his musician friends from Washington who had
come to NY in search of work.
Then Duke met trumpeter Bubber Miley and his music changed.
In 1927 the band went into the Cotton Club in Harlem and this
is where they became know as The Duke Ellington Orchestra.
At the Cotton Club the band’s personality matured and the nation wide radio
broadcast of their shows made Duke into a national star.
In 1956 Ellington played at the Newport Jazz Festival.
He played Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue
actually a composition of his from 1937.
Well, this performance was so singularly swinging
it caused a near riot and Duke became more popular than ever.
Duke was unbelievable.