Duke Ellington Essay

Kaleb Diers

Duke Ellington's Musical Mark

Duke Ellington was a popular pianist in the 1920’s whose ambition led him throughout his career. It is important to learn about musicians like Duke, because the music world will never leave a person's daily life. It’s also important to compare and contrast techniques from the 1920’s to that of the present day. Duke Ellington was one of the greatest musicians to remember, because of his childhood, actual career, and his legacy.

To begin with, it is clear that Duke Ellington’s childhood was a key part of his future, because of the exposure he had received from his parents. In the year 1899, Duke was born in the bustling city of Washington D.C. His middle class family helped introduce him to the luxuries of art. In an article by Britannica it states, “He was awarded, but did not accept, a scholarship to the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York” (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). Duke’s parents who were musicians assisted in making him the man he was by showing him the arts at a young age. He was so ahead of the other musicians due to the fact that his parents had built him a strong base from a young age.

The year was 1923, Ellington had just begun to play in New York, but he wasn’t satisfied. The next year he formed his own band, the Washingtonians, consisting of 14 people. Three years passed, Duke got his band and himself in the Cotton Club, since he still wasn’t satisfied with where he was. Furthermore, an article written by PBS says, “In 1931 Ellington left the Cotton Club and began a series of extended tours that would continue for the rest of his life” ( PBS.org). It just goes to show how he never shied away from any opportunity and always wanted to be better. Duke could’ve very well just stayed at the Cotton Club performing for the rest of his life, but he had a vision which nobody could