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A Portrait Of Duke Ellington By Tracy Frech

A Portrait of Duke Ellington By Tracy Frech


Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of
American music. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in Washington D.C. on
April 29, 1899. His parents were James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They
raised Duke as an only child, until his sister, Ruth, was born when Duke was
sixteen years old. Duke, even as a teenager, had a great talent for music. In
the beginning of his musical life, Duke began to take a promising interest in a
new type of music that would later be called jazz. Choosing to base his career
on a new idea may not have been smart, but Duke did take this chance and in turn
became one of the most famous musicians in America.

Duke's first job was at a government office. He was a clerk who received
the minimum wage and was barely getting by. He would arrange dance bands for
weddings and parties for extra money. His mother taught him how to play the
piano. Sometimes he put this knowledge to use and played at a few of the
dance parties and weddings. After Duke's first job, he became more interested
in painting and the arts. For a few years he painted public posters. Duke
then decided to put together his own band.

At this point in his life things started to change for the better for Duke,
but not for long. In those days, this new music was just beginning to develop and
would later be given the name of jazz. In that time it was considered to be low
and vulgar because it was music that grew directly out of the Black culture. In
those early years, segregation was at one of its all time worst points in
history. I think that is why Duke Ellington was one of the most
important individuals to the growth and development of jazz. During Duke's long
career, the new music slowly spread out of bars and saloons, to dance and night
clubs and then eventually onto the concert stage. In time, jazz became a
universally recognized form of art and has been said that it is the...