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DUKE ELLINGTON
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Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become standards. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol’s “Caravan”, which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz
![1934: Group portrait of American jazz musician Duke Ellington (1899 - 1974) and his band in formal attire at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. L-R: Wellman Braud, Otto Hardwick, Lawrence Brown, Tricky Sam Nanton, Rex Stewart, Arthur Whetsol, Sonny Greer, Harry Carney, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Juan Tizol, and Fred Guy. (Photo by Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images)](https://heroesofjazz.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/2023/06/Duke-Ellington-BB4532/1169053986.jpg)