Analysis of Duke Ellington's Music - Essay Example

Duke Ellington Duke Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington dc to a middle family. He was enrolled in piano es at the age of seven and was always artistic during his early days. His family encouraged him to follow his heart, and he continued practicing to play piano like great pianists of those days. When he finished high school, he decided not to take a scholarship at the University of Brooklyn to concentrate on music, (Terrill, 2003). He put devotion of his time in doing music and representing others as their agent. In 1918, he established a band and became its leader. He has influenced my piano players such as James Johnson and Willie Smith. He later gained the respect of the same people who influenced him with his piano playing styles. Duke's ability to modernize his playing over the years kept him to be relevant in the music industry, (Gayford, 1999). This musician had a style that was not associated with blacks back then. He did music that was beyond definition back then and defied stereotypes. He considered his orchestra as one crucial instrument of his singing. He always sang with them, and his orchestra was one of the big hits from 1927. It had eight soloists, and before 1931, it used to perform in Cotton club. Later, it became a road band; touring all the states in the US as well as Europe and Sweden in the 1930s. Ellington as a person had a sense of dignity and dressed immaculately something that was not associated with black people. He was also extremely serious at his work, and many said he was too quiet. Most of his time was spent in his studio composing songs for his band. His songs were specifically written for his band; making it hard for others to sing them. During this period, he also succeeded in the film industry. Duke Ellington had various records throughout his career life. In 1923, visited New York and did some records with his friends from Washington dc. They worked with Elmer Snowden until there was a disagreement. Ellington became the leader of the band after this; they performed at Hollywood club in Manhattan. Their first record came out in 1924; their first two songs were "rainy nights" and "gotta hurry home". These records did not hit as they expected, and it was until 1926 when Irving mills became their manager that they had their massive hit. They later recorded "black and tan fantasy" a song that associated with Ellington throughout his career. Later he was put at the top by his acceptance to be a house band for the cotton club. This made him well known in America and contributed to financial security that his band needed. It left the cotton club in 1931 to tour the world; they managed to change with time. In 1930s swing music hit, New York, and Ellington managed to change from hot jazz of 1920s to this genre. The record "doesn't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing" created that era. In the 1940s, the band strength increased even more, and new soloist joined them (Pinkney & Pinkney). They recorded various records including "per did", and "jump for joy". In 1943, Ellington gave his first hall concert debuting "black, brown and beige". In the late 1940s, his music continued to be of high quality, and his band's turnover increased. Many influential bands broke up during this time due to the rise of bebop. In spite of, Ellington's band never broke up. In the 1950s, he had his worst moment of his career, but it was not a problem with his art. The band struggled for a while, but in 1955, they realized "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" which brought him back to fame. Duke brought various innovations to the music industry back then; making it acceptable for a black person to succeed in music. He was among the earliest jazz singers to make a record that took more than three minutes. His songs were more untraditional and had different modulations from what people were used to backing then. The melodies of his songs rumbled into places that were not obvious. He wrote his songs with his band members' voices in mind, so everyone in the band had his part to play. The biggest contribution of Duke was his effect on the black community; he was able to show the world that blacks too had talent. His discipline was also notable; this is has been explained his ability to keep the band together until his death. His contribution, however, went beyond music; he contributed a lot to his culture as a black person. He fought for racial equality and even became part of civil rights movements, (Cohen, 2010). Duke contributed an immense deal in making blacks feel worthy, and he was quoted saying that his race was his inspiration. He was able to influence many musicians including Thelonious Monk whose piano style was influenced by Ellington. Monk is a modern jazz musician, as well as a pianist. His unique arranging concepts influenced a number of modern day composers. Even if, Duke's main forte was jazz, he also composed for ballets, films, operas and church services. He was kind hearted and would regularly display his musicians; enabling them to make a strong impact on their own jazz styles (Bradberry, 2005). Ellington received various Grammy awards all the way through his career and many other awards. He continued to perform until his demise after suffering from cancer. His band continued with his legacy headed by his son Mercer. Ellington's legacy was to remain the greatest jazz musician of all time, and he has done that considering his name is, as vital, as it was then. His influence to musicians has remained strong and relevant. Until today musicians revisit his work for inspiration and as a bedrock to their own careers. He has severally been named as one of the greatest composers. Many reviewers of his work have given him credit for his artistic talent. References Bradbury, D. (2005). Duke Ellington. London: Haus. Cohen, H. G. (2010). Duke Ellington's America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gayford, M. (May 01, 1999). Duke Ellington. The Spectator, 44. Terrill, R. (2003). Duke Ellington. Chicago: Raintree. Pinkney, A. D., & Pinkney, J. B. (1998). Duke Ellington: The piano prince and his orchestra. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. Read More