Duke Ellington
Early Life
- He started piano lessons at 7 years old
- His first professional debut was at 17 years old
- He had a talent in graphic arts
- He grew up in middle-class
- His parents were very religious
- He didn't like the piano at first
- He was taught to play by sound to ear even though it was difficult
Influences
- His first band was the Washingtonians
- The Great Depression was a huge influence
- Discrimination played a big role in his music
- His first song "Soda Fountain Rag", was inspired by his first job as a soda jerk
Time Period
- His most productive years were the 1930's
- The Great Depression was during this time
- Many people were jobless and running out of money
- The country was weakened
- There was a lot of discrimination at the time
- Almost nobody had money
Their Music
- He played almost all Jazz
- He composed all of his song
- Most of his songs were longer than most
- He often used muted brass in his songs
- He used a piano style "Ragtime" very regularly
- He sometimes showcased talented individual musicians
Interesting Facts
- He was born April 29th 1899 - He died may 24th 1974
- He was was born in Washington D.C.
- He died in New York City
- Many of his best performers stayed with him for years
- He wrote the Washingtonians' theme song "Take the a Train"
- He was a pianist, composer, and orchestra leader
- He composed thousands of songs