Duke Ellington Essay
George Alazar
Mr. Peets
AP US History
3/20/22
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington was the most well-known musician composer and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance. Born on April 29, 1899, in Washington D.C, Edward Kennedy Ellington group up in a stable middle-class family. His parents, Daisy and James Ellington, both were talented musicians, playing piano. They strongly encouraged him to play piano, and he began piano lessons at the age of seven. Throughout his young life, Ellington began interested in the arts and wrote his first piece, “Soda Fountain Rag.” His love for music grew from here, and in 1923, he created the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Regardless, of the popularity of his orchestra, Duke and his musicians still endured racism. When they would travel to the south, they would travel, eat, and sleep privately to avoid segregation. His contract for his orchestra also stated that he would only play for non-segregated orchestras. Despite these setbacks, Duke continued to perform with a subtle note of activism, by sharing African American culture through his music.
…show more content…
African Americans after the Civil War created many blues melodies that have been passed down as part of their culture. Along with melody, the beat of jazz, consisting of syncopation and polyrhythms came from African communities that were passed down. Along with this, Ellington created some different styles present in jazz. These were “call and response”, ternary forms, and swung rhythms. He also created a balance of music created by him and improv from the musicians. This kept the music exciting and let him and the musicians create their music. One of the most important styles of music was the use of big-band. This consisted of large ensembles with saxophones, brass, and rhythm. His creation of big band jazz increased during the 1940s’ and became a popular genre of
1920s Music Influence
680 Words | 3 PagesNew entertainment helped to spread the jazz music across the United States. By the end of the 1920’s more than 12 million families had radios in their home, movie theaters started to become more popular, and jazz bands started to perform at dance
How Did New Orleans Create Divided Social Standards?
1118 Words | 5 Pages[the black musician] improvises, he creates, it comes from within” (Gerard 28). Despite Malcolm X’s criticism of the classically-trained musician’s inability to improvise, the European-influenced creole musicians began to learn to create variation within ragtime’s syncopated form. Likewise, blues musicians adopted parts of the genre of ragtime and implemented it into their call-and-response based music. The merging of these two styles of music occurred as a result of external socio-political pressure of Jim Crow segregation, but ultimately helped establish an innovative and swinging genre of jazz
James Edward Kennedy Ellington: Annotated Bibliography
1929 Words | 8 PagesDuke Ellington is an infamous American jazz composer. With awards like the Pulitzer Prize, the French Legion of Honor (1973), the Medal of Freedom (1969), the President’s Gold Medal (1966), and thirteen Grammy awards, Duke Ellington is known as one of the most influential African American figures of the twentieth century. Coming from a musical family, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 to James Edward Ellington and Daisy (Kennedy) Ellington. James Ellington was a White House butler and his mother was a pianist. He was raised in Washington,
Edward 'Duke' Ellington: Most Influential Big Band Swing Composers
620 Words | 3 PagesEdward ‘Duke’ Ellington, a name synonymous with jazz, is considered still to one of the most influential Big Band Swing composers and arrangers. Ellington identified himself as a composer and arranger primarily and then a musician, although he played in bands before becoming an arranger. Ellington’s work and arrangements were instrumental in shaping Big Band Swing and helped to create the longevity of this sound. Ellington learned to lead a band and arrange pieces when he formed his first band, the Washingtonians. Under Ellington’s guidance the band slowly increased in size and popularity and once he began touring he did not stop for almost fifty consecutive years.
Duke Ellington Annotated Bibliography
585 Words | 3 PagesDuke Ellington During the 1920’s, jazz became the new, hot thing. Many musicians and composers made their mark during this time period. Duke Ellington was one of them. He turned America on their heads and got them on their feet.
How Did The Harlem Renaissance Affect The Economy Of The 1920s?
633 Words | 3 PagesThey both were advocates for racial pride and equality. In the 1920s, America witnessed the flourishment of African-American culture in the fine arts. In music, black culture expressed itself through Jazz. Some famous jazz musicians were Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie
Edward Kennedy Ellington Influence
1999 Words | 8 PagesHe has been quoted many times saying,“If jazz means anything, it is freedom of expression.” -Duke Ellington. He was born to perform and lived to compose, lead and play before audiences and on stage. He brought jazz music and orchestra music together and combined the two genres. Ellington's music was so popular he worked with many other great Jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Coleman Hawkins, but also non Jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Charles Mingus.
Duke Ellington Research Papers
1077 Words | 5 PagesDuke Ellington and The 1920’s The most important part of the roaring 20’s would have to be the “cultural Civil War,” from the conflicting religions, Harlem renaissance, Women's rights, “the new woman,” versus the old fashioned housewife, all played a key role in the roaring twenties. At the height of the Harlem Renaissance in the late 1920s, Duke Ellington was a pioneer of a new form of jazz music that can be heard in the song “Black and Tan Fantasy.” The 1920’s were full of cultural and economic change as well as increased self expression and nightlife along with dance and the birth of jazz music. “The nation’s total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, and this economic growth swept many Americans into an affluent but unfamiliar
Duke Ellington Poetic Style
1632 Words | 7 PagesDuke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was a famous American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader of a jazz orchestra. He was born April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C. He pursued his career in music from the 1920’s all the way until his death on May 24, 1974 in New York, NY (aged 75). He earned the nickname “Duke” as a child because of his gentlemanly demeanor, graceful manner, and the fancy clothes that he wore, and he used it as a title at the suggestion of a friend, Edgar McEntree. He was one of the creators of the popular Big Band instrumentation.
Louis Armstrong Accomplishments
1112 Words | 5 PagesHave you ever imagined being on the best jazz music concert, being surrounded by the best jazz musicians of the world? Have you ever seen a trompetist playing so passionately? During the crazy 1920s you are going to see the emerge of one of the greatest jazz soloist, who changed the history of jazz and African American culture. Back then jazz was just an African American music that you can dance, but Louis Armstrong transformed it making it a popular art. Jazz is a music genre that originated in the late XIX century and expanded globally in the XX century.
Duke Ellington Essay
627 Words | 3 PagesKaleb 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.
Jazz: Duke Ellington During The Harlem Renaissance
912 Words | 4 PagesDuke Ellington was a jazz author, conductor, and entertainer amid the Harlem Renaissance. During the developmental Cotton Club years, he explored different avenues regarding and built up the style that would rapidly bring him overall achievement. Ellington would be among the first to concentrate on melodic shape and sythesis in jazz. Ellington composed more than 2000 pieces in his lifetime. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was the "house" symphony for various years at the Cotton Club.
Duke Ellington Bibliography Essay
404 Words | 2 PagesHe composed thousands of scores and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in all of western music. He influenced millions of people around the world and at home, giving America its own sound for the first time. Today, Duke Ellington is seen as one of the biggest originators of big-band jazz and an inspirational figure to jazz musicians. Born on April 29, 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as Duke Ellington, grew up in Washington D.C. with his parents Daisy and
Louis Armstrong Research Paper
1157 Words | 5 PagesJazz is most often thought to have been started in the 1920s as this explosive movement, but that is in fact not the case. Starting in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century many African American musicians have started to explore their taste in improvising, and where better to do that than New Orleans (Anderson). Before the 1920s these jazz musicians have already been going around sharing the unique sound, but up until then, jazz had remained majorly in New Orleans. Interestingly during this period, a common jazz band would consist of a cornet, a clarinet, a trombone, and a rhythm section when at this period of time the clarinet is not commonly associated with being a jazz instrument, it moved into being the saxophone rather. A big
How Did Swing Music Affect The Civil Rights Movement
782 Words | 4 PagesSome of them included Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Jimmy Lunceford. Interestingly enough, because of the popularity of the music, African Americans were able to produce music and bring it into white society for them to listen to. These African American musicians also influenced many of the white musicians as well. White jazz musicians had taken inspiration from black jazz music for many years, but because of swing, they became even more deeply devoted to integrating this music to blacks and whites. Benny Goodman was one of these white musicians.
More about Duke Ellington Essay
1920s Music Influence
680 Words | 3 PagesHow Did New Orleans Create Divided Social Standards?
1118 Words | 5 PagesJames Edward Kennedy Ellington: Annotated Bibliography
1929 Words | 8 PagesEdward 'Duke' Ellington: Most Influential Big Band Swing Composers
620 Words | 3 PagesDuke Ellington Annotated Bibliography
585 Words | 3 PagesHow Did The Harlem Renaissance Affect The Economy Of The 1920s?
633 Words | 3 PagesEdward Kennedy Ellington Influence
1999 Words | 8 PagesDuke Ellington Research Papers
1077 Words | 5 PagesDuke Ellington Poetic Style
1632 Words | 7 PagesLouis Armstrong Accomplishments
1112 Words | 5 PagesDuke Ellington Essay
627 Words | 3 PagesJazz: Duke Ellington During The Harlem Renaissance
912 Words | 4 PagesDuke Ellington Bibliography Essay
404 Words | 2 PagesLouis Armstrong Research Paper
1157 Words | 5 PagesHow Did Swing Music Affect The Civil Rights Movement
782 Words | 4 Pages