Duke Ellington: One Of America's Most Notorious Composers
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington was one of America’s most prolific composers. He led and played piano for one of the century’s most successful jazz orchestra. Although he excelled in big band jazz arrangements, He composed in a variety of forms including large scale abstract instrumental works as well as songs, night production numbers, and dance tunes. Duke Ellington’s music is known for linking images and sound. He often referred to many of his compositions as “portraits or tone parallels”. Duke received his first piano lesson at the age of seven, and he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag," when he was fourteen. His interest in music was ignited in high school by the virtuoso techniques and sound of ragtime. By the time he turned the age of seventeen he was a professional pianist and had earned the nickname “Duke”. He formed a band called the “Duke's Serenaders” in his hometown of Washington, DC after he graduated from high school, an earned a reputation as an up-and-coming young musician in the new style of music called "jazz." …show more content…
He saw that the new mechanism for recording and amplification could augment coloristic exploration. He used this new idea when recording “ Mood Indigo “ which was written on October 17,1930, but was written especially for microphonic transmission of a radio broadcast. From 1931 to 1971 when the Pittsburgh courier declared him “king of jazz” he became the first jazz musician invited to join the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Ellington served as the reference point for the 20th century American jazz and has remained a prominent composer of the
Duke Ellington was one of America’s most prolific composers. He led and played piano for one of the century’s most successful jazz orchestra. Although he excelled in big band jazz arrangements, He composed in a variety of forms including large scale abstract instrumental works as well as songs, night production numbers, and dance tunes. Duke Ellington’s music is known for linking images and sound. He often referred to many of his compositions as “portraits or tone parallels”. Duke received his first piano lesson at the age of seven, and he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag," when he was fourteen. His interest in music was ignited in high school by the virtuoso techniques and sound of ragtime. By the time he turned the age of seventeen he was a professional pianist and had earned the nickname “Duke”. He formed a band called the “Duke's Serenaders” in his hometown of Washington, DC after he graduated from high school, an earned a reputation as an up-and-coming young musician in the new style of music called "jazz." …show more content…
He saw that the new mechanism for recording and amplification could augment coloristic exploration. He used this new idea when recording “ Mood Indigo “ which was written on October 17,1930, but was written especially for microphonic transmission of a radio broadcast. From 1931 to 1971 when the Pittsburgh courier declared him “king of jazz” he became the first jazz musician invited to join the Swedish Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Ellington served as the reference point for the 20th century American jazz and has remained a prominent composer of the