Duke Ellington
Good morning.
Today we’re listening to Duke Ellington, an American jazz pianist and composer from Washington, D.C. Born in 1899, Ellington started piano lessons at age seven, and in 1914 composed his first original piece, the “Soda Fountain Rag.”1 Ellington’s influence on jazz cannot be overstated; among other contributions, he composed the standards “Caravan,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” and “Satin Doll.” We’re first playing Jazz Profile: Duke Ellington, a “single-CD sampler” released by Blue Note Records in 1997.2 It’s a great introduction to Ellington and his orchestra’s performances. We’re also playing the live album Yale Concert from 1973, the year before his death. Ted Gioia has a great piece about the ongoing campaign to award the 1965 Pulitzer Prize in music, which was not awarded at all, to Ellington, as the prize jury originally recommended.
Jazz Profile: Duke Ellington - Duke Ellington (50m, no vocals but a spoken intro on track 5)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
Yale Concert - Duke Ellington (50m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
Have a really nice Wednesday.
As a major fan of the Duke, I appreciate any efforts to have him introduced to new audiences.
Perfect.