Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

* Pianist, arranger, composer

* Most prolific composer-arranger in jazz history

* Led the most stable and longest-lived band

* before 1920 and until his death in 1974 he wrote over 2000 compositions, as well as many arrangements and re-arrangements for them

* He chose musicians that had substantial and distinctive styles, would write parts for them according to their styles

* Some of his members stayed in his band for 20 to 30 years

* He and his band recorded more than any other, and can be heard in hundreds of 78rpm recordings, long play albums and discs

Piano

* stride style playing for first three decades of his career, like James Johnson

* great swing feeling, unusual harmonies and voicings

* -his accompanying was spare and complementary

Composer

* “Mood Indigo” and “Don’t Get around Much Anymore” were some of his best known tunes

* Nearly all jazz musicians have played at least one of his songs

* Also wrote longer pieces, known for taking jazz into the format of “extended works” … best known is “ Black, brown and beige” and is know to parralell the history of the American black man

Arranging style

* known for arranging in a way that maximizes the sounds of individual players

* - wrote parts for each particular player in his band, and catered to their unique sound

* for example:if a chord was to be played by three trumpeters, he would write each note based on the tone that each trumpeter is good at hitting

* also known for voicing across sections of the band. Heard in “mood indigo” he voiced instruments from different sections together. 1 muted trumpet, 1 muted trombone and 1 clarinet

Important players from his band

1. Johnny Hodges – saxophonist

* best known of his sidemen

* often played lead alto sax, which usually contained the melody

* almost every ellington album features him, and he was so consistant that examples can be heard in every...