The Legacy of Duke Ellington - Essay Example

? Day Month Year The Legacy of Duke Ellington There have been numerous influential musicians over the years.Think of classical music and Beethoven or Mozart come to mind. Consider Rock and Roll for even a moment and the Beatles or Elvis Presley are certain to be become part of the conversation. Likewise, there have been many people over the decades that have had a tremendous impact on jazz music. Jazz is largely an American musical invention, and there have certainly been some great tunes composed over the years. Because of the sheer number of songs recorded and the impact that he had on jazz musicians over the past century, continuing even to this day, Duke Ellington is certainly worthy of inclusion when asking about the top jazz artists of all time. This brief paper will examine the life and legacy of Duke Ellington. Let us begin with some well known facts about Mr. Ellington. He was born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899. Unlike many black composers of his time, Duke Ellington did not grow up in poverty. Rather, he was raised in a middle-class area of Washington D.C. by two involved and seemingly loving parents. In fact, his parents were talented musicians as well, which lends credence to the saying ‘like father like son’. Naturally, Duke’s father encouraged him to learn to play various instruments from an early age. It is noted that, by the age of 7, he was already learning and getting quite good at the piano (Unger 75). As the story goes, the name ‘Duke’ was bestowed upon him because he was such a gentleman in all that he did, even from an early age. His parents encouraged him to work when he was a teenager, which he did, but his first passion was always music. It is well known that his first published song was wrote while he was working at a soda fountain in the D.C. era. The song ‘Soda Fountain Rag’ was written at the age of 15 and was noticed by many people in the area as the song that got Duke noticed. He was so musically inclined that he was offered a scholarship at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. As appealing as that was to him, and with his parent’s blessings, he passed it up to begin playing professional as a jazz musician when he was only 17 years of age (Unger 75). As the reader can already ascertain, Duke Ellington began to shape his legacy at an early age. He was raised properly by parents who nurtured him and helped him to foster his own love and passion for music. People in the D.C. area quickly figured out that they might have a child protege on his hands. He began to form ‘big bands’, which was something new in American culture. These bands uplifted and encouraged others. As his career stretched into the early 30’s, Americans needed some joy in their lives, and Mr. Duke Ellington and his band often provided this. He eventually formed a 10-piece ensemble, which is still a model for jazz bands today. Ellington, however, did not want to create normal, everyday music. Rather, he sought out to redefine jazz music. This was represented in the band members that he chose. He did not, for example, just set out to recruit any gifted saxophonist. Instead, he sought out a saxophonist who had a unique sound that the world had not yet encountered. As he formed his band, he ended up with a group of the most talented musicians, all performing together, and they quickly got noticed on a global scale. In fact, in the 1930’s, his band toured the continent of Europe on two separate occasions. This was something that was extremely rare during those days. This has furthered his legacy as, to this day, Duke Ellington and his band are not just remembered in American social circles, but he remains popular throughout Europe as well. Duke Ellington is known as a great pianist, band leader, and composer. His mark on the music world is assured. Beyond that, however, he as adored by millions as a genuinely good person. If he had a girlfriend before he met his wife, we are not privy to it. He ended up marrying his high school sweetheart when they were 19 years old and they stayed together until his death. Sadly, Duke Ellington was taken from us too soon He died on May 24, 1974. The causes of death were listed as lung cancer and pneumonia. They say, however, that man’s legacy can be seen from who attends his funeral. If that is case, Duke Ellington has nothing to worry about. He was buried in New York City and over 12,000 people attended his funeral. As he knew he was dying, Ellington told the world with his final words that, “Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered” (Hudson 73). His legacy certainly ives on, nearly forty years after his death. Let us look at some reasons why. The story of Duke Ellington’s legacy begins in Washington D.C. Many longterm residents of the city say that Duke is D.C. He defines the culture and the feeling and mood of the residents there. He is, therefore, not only known for his jazz music. He is a highly influential African American and remains “one of the twentieth century’s best known African-American personalities, who influenced millions of people at home and around the world” (Allrejsovic para. 1). As mentioned, his name became Duke because of how gentlemanly he was in all things. His given Christian name, however, was Edward Kennedy Ellington. While the world knows him as Duke, his close family and friends always remembered the sweet little Edward that played the piano for them from and early age. Jazz is an art form. Duke Ellington redefined the industry with his own touch and style. The world is full of great jazz musicians, probably some just as good, possibly even better than, Duke was. This is not, however, why he is so remembered and revered even to this day. Duke Ellington dared to be different. He loved Jazz music, but he wanted to revolutionize the music world. He wanted to leave his mark on music history, while given his fans something new to listen to. He certainly accomplished that, as he composed and recorded thousands of arrangements, many of them hits, that remain today as his lasting gift to jazz society. Duke Ellington was with us for 75 glorious and wonderful years. That amounted to the first 75 years years of the twentieth century, through which society went through many ups and downs. Never mind the fact that he lived his childhood and his early adult life without even having the right to vote or being able to ride in the front of a public bus, but society was often quite tumultuous in other ways as well. Consider the Great Depression of the early 30’s. Ellington was only 30 years old himself and was just hitting his prime. His music lifted the spirits of not only his own people, but of others around the world as well. During this time, he and his big band toured the country, went to Europe twice, appeared on literally hundreds of television and radio shows, and the list goes on. He did this because, not only did he love his profession, but he honestly felt that his brand of jazz music could revitalize the soul. He accomplished just that and more. The Great Depression was not the only era that Duke Ellington lived and played through. He composed music and entertained the masses through two world wars, the Vietnam and Korean wars, and the entire Cold War Era. In addition, he left a great mark on the Civil Rights movement. This was something that impacted him as well. Through all of the many discriminations and prejudice that he faced in his professional life, it is not recorded anywhere that this really go to him (Hudson 73). Instead, he kept right on doing what he did best. This was composing jazz, and using his gift to bring people together. If he could make people happy and forget about the their troubles for even just a moment in time, then he felt that all of the effort and practice paid off. Let us go back to the Cold War for a moment. This was a time of great tension around the world. Not only were Americans and Russians living on the edge, but the rest of the world was on edge as well waiting to see what would happen. Strangely enough, the economy was doing just fine and people seemed to be living the good life, yet they were largely living in fear. Ellington did not notice this just at home, but him and his band noticed this fear wherever they traveled. The music of Duke Ellington and his band, however, transcended this fear. It bought people together. Around the world, people could listen to this brand of jazz music and forget all of the tension that was present in the world. This was especially important during the Cold War Era. Ellington was so influential during this time, that he travelled to Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America during the Cold War. Many of these countries were at odds with America, yet they still invited Duke Ellington to come and play in front of crowds of thousands of adoring fans. Now, that is a legacy worth mentioning. Sadly, it was not long after this era that Duke Ellington contracted cancer and then died not longer after. The physical body of Duke Ellington might be gone, and new music is not being composed by him, but his legacy certainly lives on. It lives on in the hearts and souls of his fans, friends, and family. In addition, his musical legacy lives on in the form of jazz. Musicians today are able to study the work and life of Duke Ellington thanks to his granddaughter. Mercedes Ellington, “Keeps her grandfather’s legacy alive as President of the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts” (Allrejsovic para. 3). This center educates and teaches people today about the jazz of yesterday. The music that impacted and touched so many lives can still be created by a new generation of jazz artists today. Just as Duke Ellington dared to challenge the norm, his legacy encourages others to do the same. Duke Ellington had every reason to just sit in his comfortable middle class life in D.C. and watch the world go by. He aspired, however, to do something greater. He looked to music as his way of preaching salvation to the masses. His form of salvation was to encourage others to look beyond cultural and racial differences. Music was his way of doing this. He dared to be different and he was not afraid to put himself out there. He faced his share of opposition along the way and he met that opposition head on every time. In the end, we still has his music, and we have the big band bran of jazz music, all thanks to Duke Wellington. In conclusion, we can certainly say that the legacy of Duke Wellington lives on. His music continues be sold near the top of the jazz charts. He continue to inspire the lives of musicians today aspiring to be great. Beyond music, he is a pillar of the African American community and contributed a great deal in his right to the Civil Rights movement. As such, he in mentioned in history texts, as well as in music classrooms. Duke Ellington is a name synonymous with virtue. He lived a good life and inspired others to do the same. His family is proud of him to this day, and American society, indeed the world, is grateful that he blessed them with 75 years of great jazz music. Works Cited Allrejsovic, Amra. “Legacy of Duke Ellington Remembered.” VOA. N.p. , 20 April 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2013. Hudson, Ted. “Duke Ellington is Alive.” IAJRC Journal 44.1 (2011): 73. Unger, Jeff. “Duke Ellington.” Parenting 14.9 (2000): 75. Read More