Ellington biography briefly

American jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington is a sign figure in the 20th century musical Olympus. His work had a huge impact on world jazz culture. His family was different from his neighbors with his rather high income. Father worked in decent houses and earned well, because the boy’s childhood was full and calm. From childhood, Dyuka Ellington has experienced the fame of the musician - the most famous jazz composers close relations connected him not with his father, but his mother.

It was a subtle nature, very pious and warmly loving music. From an early age, a mother formed a boy’s worldview. It was she who was the first to teach him the game at the piano, and from the age of 7 he began to take lessons from the teacher. At the age of 11, the little Edward began to compose the first compositions. The boy not just studied music, he lived from her early childhood.

Often it happened in the lessons, forgetting about the tasks, he knocked out rhythms on the desk, picking up music. Ellington received his nickname “Duke” for the dandy style of clothes is interesting that the sonorous nickname Duke in the translation from the English “Duke” Ellington did not come up with, as many jazzists did in those years. This nickname was assigned to him since childhood, so his pianist was jokingly narely, emphasizing the neat appearance and the ability to keep himself at a height.

According to another version, he received this nickname already in his youth from friends who joked at his dandy clothing. Learn about other nicknames of jazz musicians. Ellington was a jazz innovator of his time in the year the boy enters the Higher School of Armstrong. In the evenings after classes, he sits for hours and plays the piano.

But it is interesting that with all the talent and enthusiasm for music, Duke was never limited only by her. The guy was very successfully engaged in painting, and for a long time dreamed of becoming a professional artist. In the year, Ellington goes to study at an art school and wins the prestigious posters of posters. This victory turned something in the soul of the future maestro.

He leaves drawing and begins to engage only in music. The youthful years of the charm of jazz music that it was not created behind closed doors of conservatory under the strict supervision of professional teachers. It seemed that jazz simply poured along the streets and everyone could draw from this sea. Choosing between painting and music, Ellington remained devoted to the game on the piano Duke Ellington often attended music apartment, listened to records and tried to adopt musical techniques.

The constant rotation in the circle of musicians gave Dyuk what the best teacher could not give - he learned to feel the regeneum. The first, almost random, performances were loved by the public, and the name of Duke Ellington began to gain popularity in narrow circles. Duke begins to cooperate as a pianist with successful orchestras - Sam Wooding and Dok Perry.

The musical career at the end of the year Duke Ellington with several friends is collecting the The Washingtonians ensemble. While they play more for themselves, boldly experimenting with music, and are already beginning to dream of success. The ensemble goes to New York, but the first attempt to conquer the big city ends in failure and the team returns back. Gradually, Ellington pulls the leading role and transforms the team to its taste.

New tools are added and old participants are replaced. All transformations went to the team only to the benefit and his fame grew more and more. Ellington experiments with arrangements and sounds, achieving an amazing level of music. By the year, the orchestra Duke Ellington is becoming a model for musicians of that time. The team travels a lot in America and Europe.

The decline in his career but in the life of a jazis were not only dizzying ups. The beginning of x is a difficult time, when the public interest in jazz music disappeared. For a long time, Duke supports the group afloat only thanks to his own financial injections from the income of the composer. Ellington in his dressing room at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, people in search of a better life begin to leave the team for a year.

For several years, Duke Ellington ceases to perform in order to return again and conquer the whole world with his serious work, which have become much more complicated and interesting. In the summer of the year, at the jazz festival, he triumphantly returns to a large stage. His photograph is decorated with the Time cover, a new contract is signed with it, and the Ellington at Newport album becomes the most successful in the musician’s career.

These performances made a great impression on both the audience and the musician himself. Duke himself recalled that many of his concerts there lasted several hours. Over and over, people called the musicians to BIS, and flattered performers tirelessly repeated their beautiful melodies. He never refused ties for one night. Duke did not seek to find a perfect girl, many of his friends were not beautiful from a generally accepted point of view.The brilliant Ellington fascinated women so much that many of them threw their spouses in the hope of becoming a constant girlfriend of the great musician.

But only a few beauties managed to captivate the heart of inconsistent womanizer for a long time. Edna Thompson is the official wife of the maestro, which he married in the year. The couple had the son of Mercer. Although the artist’s constant ties quickly destroyed the marriage, Edna remained the official wife of Duke until his death. Mildred from his life was supplanted by another beauty - Beatrice Ellis.

For almost 40 years she lived in New York, considering herself the wife of Ellington. She expected that after the death of Edna, she would receive an official marriage proposal. But even the death of the wife did not change her status. Ivi spent his whole life in relations with Ellington, covered with gifts in anticipation of rare visits of her beloved. They had a very bright romance, but Duke refused to marry her under the pretext that he was already married to Ivi.

Despite the large number of women in her life, Duke Ellington said that his only mistress is music, and only she can play the first violin in his life. The last years of his life, almost until his death, Duke Ellington was not going to go to rest. He composed a lot and traveled with concerts around the world. In the year, doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer. The great musician died on May 24 from pneumonia.

So the famous musician, who brought jazz to a new level of sound, died. Even death did not stop the flow of awards that continued to be awarded already posthumously. In the last years of his life, Ellington composed music for films and musicals Cultural heritage the meaning of the contribution of Duke Ellington for jazz is difficult to overestimate. He was not just a talented musician who performed jazz well and attracted the audience with this.

He was the reformer of the old and the discoverer of the new sound style. He managed to combine musical instruments so that each of them was revealed as much as possible, without overshadowing others. Duke Ellington, as a composer, composed a lot for musicals and cinema. For his activities, he repeatedly received prestigious awards, for example, Grammy and the Pulitzer Prize.

Duke Ellington - multiple winner of the Grammy Award on our website you will find a fragment of the book about the fate of Duke Ellington, written by James L.