Duke Ellington's Influence on Music
Duke Ellington
“It don 't mean a thing if it ain 't got that swing
(do Do a Do ap...)
Well it don 't mean a thing all you got to do is sing” (Sing).
Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called, “The Popular Duke Ellington.” Duke Ellington can be considered important for numerous things. To choose a few reasons, Duke Ellington is important for his music, influence on people, and being a superfluous composer in his century and now.
“What good is melody? What good is music? If it ain 't possessing something sweet.”(Sing). Without a doubt Duke Ellington was most famous for his strong impact on jazz music. Throught Duke’s career he produced well known songs such as, “It don’t mean a thing”, “Ko-Ko”, “Cotton tail” and many others. “Duke Ellington’s influence on music has been vast, and every new development in jazz has owed much to him” (Spotlight). Duke Ellington was a very determined being. He was very poised and attentive in order to expand upon his musical
knowledge and make what we know as “jazz” better. Many may say “Well, Duke Ellington created jazz so…” that’s not true. Jazz was beginning to spread across the United States thanks to records, and travelling bands, and Ellington had already established himself as a serious jazz artist, so he could take advantage of the nationwide popularity. Considered one of the greatest jazz composers of all time, Duke Ellington had an enormous impact on the popular music of the late 20th century. Among his more than two thousand songs are such hits like, “In A Sentimental Mood,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good,” and “I’m Beginning To See The Light,” just to name a
“It don 't mean a thing if it ain 't got that swing
(do Do a Do ap...)
Well it don 't mean a thing all you got to do is sing” (Sing).
Edward Kennedy Ellington, American jazz composer, orchestrator, bandleader, and pianist, is considered to be the greatest composer in the history of jazz music and one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. He composed over 2000 works and performed numerous concerts during his musical career. A compilation of some of his most popular music is collected on a CD called, “The Popular Duke Ellington.” Duke Ellington can be considered important for numerous things. To choose a few reasons, Duke Ellington is important for his music, influence on people, and being a superfluous composer in his century and now.
“What good is melody? What good is music? If it ain 't possessing something sweet.”(Sing). Without a doubt Duke Ellington was most famous for his strong impact on jazz music. Throught Duke’s career he produced well known songs such as, “It don’t mean a thing”, “Ko-Ko”, “Cotton tail” and many others. “Duke Ellington’s influence on music has been vast, and every new development in jazz has owed much to him” (Spotlight). Duke Ellington was a very determined being. He was very poised and attentive in order to expand upon his musical
knowledge and make what we know as “jazz” better. Many may say “Well, Duke Ellington created jazz so…” that’s not true. Jazz was beginning to spread across the United States thanks to records, and travelling bands, and Ellington had already established himself as a serious jazz artist, so he could take advantage of the nationwide popularity. Considered one of the greatest jazz composers of all time, Duke Ellington had an enormous impact on the popular music of the late 20th century. Among his more than two thousand songs are such hits like, “In A Sentimental Mood,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good,” and “I’m Beginning To See The Light,” just to name a
Cited: "Duke Ellington - It Don 't Mean A Thing (If It Ain 't Got That Swing) Lyrics." LetsSingIt. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2013. "Duke Ellington." McGraw-Hill. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2013. "Sophisticated Lady Lyrics." - Duke Ellington. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2013 "How Did Duke Ellington Enrich American Culture?" Yahoo! Answers "Duke Ellington Lyrics." Duke Ellington Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2013. "Duke Ellington Biography." Duke Ellington Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2013.