Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and conductor whom he conducted from 1923 until his death during a career spanning more than fifty years. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York from the mid-1920s and gained national fame through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured Europe. Although widely considered a pivotal figure in jazz history, Ellington adopted the phrase "beyond category" as a liberating principle and referred to his music as part of the more general category of jazz. American music, rather than a musical genre. like jazz. At the age of seven, Ellington began taking piano lessons from Marietta Clinkscales. Daisy surrounded her son with worthy women to strengthen his manners and teach him to live gracefully. Ellington's childhood friends noted that his relaxed, casual manner, easy grace, and elegant attire gave him the appearance of a young nobleman[9] and began calling him "duke". Ellington attributed this nickname to his friend Edgar McEntree. "I think he thought that in order for me to be entitled to his constant companionship, I should have a title. So he called me Duke." Some musicians are members of Ellington's orchestra, such as saxophonist Johnny Hodges. , are considered among the best jazz musicians. Ellington merged them to form the most famous orchestral unit in jazz history. Some members remained with the orchestra for several decades. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington often composed specifically to showcase the style and skills of his individual musicians. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Duke took the stage to the sound of Strayhorn's “Take the A Train,” which had become Ellington's theme song , and addressed the audience. in a typically clever way: "You are very beautiful, very sweet, very kind, very generous, and all the children in the group want you to know that we love you madly." And with that, the orchestra launches into a full version of “Take the A Train,” a feature by trumpeter Cootie Williams. This well-known piece opens with a rare piano trio performance of a waltz with Duke accompanied by drummer Dick Wilson and bassist Jeff Castleman. Coming out of this surprising arrangement, they transition seamlessly into the more familiar 4/4 time signature and string together a few more choruses before the full big band finally enters with the familiar, swaggering theme. Tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves is next featured in the frenetic up-tempo workout “Up Jump.” As Ellington tells the crowd in typically snarky fashion, "Paul Gonzalves, you will recall, was arrested in 1956 at the Newport Jazz Festival and charged with arson," a reference to his incredible 27 solo choruses on " Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue. during Ellington's historic appearance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. And while this solo may not reach those heights, it provides a prime showcase for Gonsalves, who wails with throaty abandon above this kinetic adventure. Often collaborating with others, Ellington wrote over a thousand compositions; his vast body of work constitutes the greatest personal jazz legacy on record, with many of his works becoming standards. Ellington also recorded songs written by his musicians, for example Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and "Perdido", which..