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Ellington was a multi-talented musician and bandleader in the world of jazz. American people were happy with the music from his 50-year career, which created thousands of scores. It was not just the music he created throughout his career that made him great. He provided consistent entertainment and helped pave the road for new forms of jazz to flourish by encouraging the next generations of musicians (Lefkovitz 4). Duke Ellingtons early life shaped who he was as a superb musician., private life, and successful career. It is widely accepted that he is the greatest American musician.

Significant influence on the life and career of one of the worlds best-selling music artists may be traced back to his early years in the music industry. He was born in 1899. (Lefkovitz 2). Edward Ellington began playing the piano at the age of seven and was given the nickname Duke because of his gentlemanly manner (Radecki 58). Duke Ellington started working as a soda cashier when he was young, and he continued to work in this capacity for many years. When reached 15 years old, he wrote his first piece, Soda Fountain Rag, which was driven by his position as a soda cashier (Radecki 58). After finding his passion for music, he was offered an art studentship, which he refused and instead majored in music. Afterwards, he began playing big band professionally which was a first step towards fame and success Due to the fact that his father worked as a servant in the White House, he was fortunate enough to enjoy a comfortable childhood. Consequently, Duke Ellington continued to compose his music and play it during the Great Depression without experiencing some of the anxieties that others were experiencing.

Edward Duke Ellingtons career is one that any expert will be delighted to have researched. Numerous existing record companies, including Sony, Universal, and BMG, have total assets of their pieces from the time frame in their collections, which are sporadically rereleased. It is happening due to the fact that they produced their first audio files in November 1924 and cut songs for various music businesses under a wide range of fake identities (Appold 16). They were excellent stepping stones for the individual who would become the greatest musician of all time. Duke Ellington was a master of many genres (Appold 16). Big Band, Early Jazz, Film Music, Standards, Swing, Modern Big Band, and Progressive Jazz were just a few examples of the many different kinds of jazz played.

Ellington recorded numerous times with his ensembles, featured in movies and radio, and traveled Europe twice in the 1930s. Dukes prominence skyrocketed in 1940 when he wrote numerous masterpieces like Concerto for Cootie, Cotton Tail, and Ko-Ko. It Doesnt Mean a Thing if It Aint Got That Swing, Sophisticated Lady, Prelude to a Kiss, Solitude, and Satin Doll, which were among his most successful tunes (Appold 18). Ellingtons passion for musical drama was what set him apart. His combination of melodies, rhythms, and subtle sound shifts provided spectators with a novel experiencecomplex but approachable jazz that let the heart bounce. During the Economic Crisis, Duke Ellington became the greatest and most well-known bandleader, and he thrived while others lost employment and suffered (Appold 18). Ellington mostly performed at The Cotton Club during his 50-year career.

Due to Ellingtons public presence, he became widely recognized to be among the best jazz pianists, songwriters, and bandleaders of all time. Mercer Kennedy Ellington, Ellingtons only kid, was born when he was just 19 years old and married Edna Thompson, his high school sweetheart. After battling lung disease and pneumonia, Duke Ellington passed away on May 24, 1974, in New York City at the age of seventy-five (Appold 19). Before his last breathe, all he said was: Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered (Appold 20). Thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects during his burial. When he passed away, the band progressed with the help of his child Mercer, who headed it until 1996, when he too passed away. His grandson then took over the reins.

Duke was a legendary jazz musician, lyricist, pianist, and bandleader, among other things. He composed hundreds of compositions that were adequate to alleviate the American culture during a fifty-year career. The enjoyment, inspiration, and entertainment the musician had been able to provide to countless individuals over the course of his half-century career had been essential to contributing to the advancement of this great country in which several people reside. Edward Duke Ellingtons early life, private life, and professional career were all important in understanding who he was as a talented composer, pianist, and bandleader. Even today, individuals commemorate his achievements and the contributions he made to jazz throughout its early years by repurposing his music for current and future generations, allowing them to appreciate Duke Ellingtons music as well as previous generations. Even though he is no more, Duke Ellington will be remembered for many generations to come. Jazz music lovers do feel they lost a jewel that contributed to making jazz what it is today.

The song I decided to write about for this essay is Duke Ellingtons 1933 jazz blues Sophisticated Lady. Jazz started its swing era in the 1930s, driven by performers such as Duke Ellington. This period followed the first age of Jazz (Classical Jazz), headed by groups like the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and Louis Armstrong, and encompassed genres like Classical Jazz, Hot Jazz, Blues, and its forerunner Ragtime.

This piece, in particular, has a Blues-like vibe to it and integrates some of the genres features. For example, the item is not in the style of a hot song. Therefore, it is less lively and tuneful. The tune is composed in a low tone (but performed in major keys) with the pianist in the backdrop. The bass in the background is rather faint, and I am not sure if the harmony is a triad or a chord. The piano is performed in a major key throughout the song. However, the tune has a minor tone since the melody is sad (Franceschina 3). The trumpet in the song establishes the songs pace, giving the real beat flavor and nearly giving the song lifewithout the trumpets, it is almost reasonable to assume that I would confuse this track for a blues piece.

For me, the tracks shape consists of three sections, and the order of the sections matches an ABCA pattern. The piece begins with the piano performing (with a soft percussion in the backdrop) for around thirty seconds, almost introducing the horn player. The part continues for roughly thirty seconds until a horn starts to sound for another eighteen seconds. The piano in B marks a change in the pace to a more up-tempo approach, yet the beat remains melancholy. Trumpets start playing and go back and forth in what appears to be a type of discussion between performers. There is a primary and a supplementary trumpet player. The trumpets are higher, and the rhythm is stronger in C. In A, the keyboardist performs a solo, and the melody returns to the one that started the song (Franceschina 5). This song is rather complicated, yet the rhythm is quite easy to comprehend for the most part due to the signals that indicate when the beat changes.

I selected this music since it made me feel good when I first played it. I discovered a range of Hot Jazz tunes when browsing throughout 1930s Jazz classics that just made me want to dance with the first few chords. This song was unlike the others since it was quite sluggish for a song created in the 1930s (the age of swing). I had to compose my essay about the song since Duke Ellington was among the very few known performers of the 1930s. The dismal feeling I felt after my first listen piqued my interest, and as I listened again while reading the title, I started to hear a storynot of speech, but sounds. It is not a dismal one, but it is also not very pleasant either. A narrative about the elusive pursuit of a man or woman hunting for their own sophisticated man or woman, but looking for anything towards the storys conclusion. I used to hate Jazz music, and whenever I heard one play them, I could curse them and make fun of them. However, the music of legends like Duke Ellington ignited the passion for Jazz in me.

Works Cited

Appold, Juliette. Link to the Library of Congress: Glenn Miller, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Mozart, and Louis Braille. Music Educators Journal, vol. 105, 2018, Web.

Franceschina, John. Duke Ellingtons Music for the Theatre. McFarland, 2017.

Lefkovitz, Aaron. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis: A Twentieth-century Transnational Biography. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.

Radecki. Duke Ellington, Jazz Dance, and the African Aesthetic. Jazz Education in Research and Practice, vol. 2, no. 1, 2021, p. 58, Web.

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