Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington writing one of his thousands of masterpieces.https://www.npr.org/Created in the early 1900s and late 1800s, one of the most influential musical styles of the time was jazz. Jazz style music was influenced by African and European rhythms and evolved into modern jazz. One of the most important heroes in the jazz music industry was Duke Ellington. He was one of the most legendary pianists, jazz musicians, songwriters and bandleaders of all time. Born April 29, 1899, Duke Ellington practiced music at a young age. However, he didn't particularly enjoy it. He loved the arts and only grew to become interested in jazz music during his teen years because he thought he'd be able to make more money as a musician than as an artist and attract women through music. He wrote his first song, “Soda Fountain Rag” at only 15. He grew his band and started playing in larger, more popular festivals and parties. Designing his music specifically for his band, he created a unique style that would captivate audiences and define jazz for years to come("Duke Ellington DISCovering"). A hero must be passionate about what they do, and be determined enough to not back down, even when times look rough and the prospect of succeeding looks impossible. Duke Ellington was passionate and determined, and therefore, he was a hero.

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Duke having a good time playing a piano with his band.https://www.worldmusic.net/Ellington was passionate about his music and what he wanted to accomplish. This is one of the most prevalent traits in his personality, as shown within multiple areas of his life. Duke Ellington was an innovator and created his music to be different. This trait is demonstrated throughout his life:  “A prolific composer, Ellington created over two thousand pieces of music, including the standard songs "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and "Sophisticated Lady" and longer works like Black, Brown, and Beige and The Liberian Suite. With the variously named bands he led for more than fifty years, Ellington was responsible for many innovations in the jazz field, such as "jungle-style" use of the growl and plunger and the manipulation of the human voice as an instrument—singing notes without words”("Duke Ellington DISCovering"). Rather than stick to a pre-existing style of music, Duke created his own style, and demonstrated his strong passion with his music, often pouring his heart and soul into his creations. Many artists will stick to something that already exists, but Ellington went above and beyond because he felt that by being more stylistic and innovative with his approach to music, he could show off his expertise a bit more, and only the artists passionate in their works are willing to take a risk to possibly draw attention to themselves. Not only was he passionate in his music that he created, he also took his musical career outside his band and helped set up other musical events: “In 1943 Ellington helped set up an annual jazz concert series at New York City's Carnegie Hall that lasted until 1955. Ellington was deeply involved with it each year and used the event to premier new, longer works of jazz that he composed”("Duke Ellington DISCovering"). He was engaged in the jazz community and wanted to give back to the community by setting up such things to spread his love of music. Rather than sit idle and let other people do things for him, he was passionate about the art of music and did whatever he could to get involved in any area of music that he could, whether it be playing the music, creating the music, or setting up music for an event. Duke Ellington showed his strong, passionate character throughout multiple points in his life, going above and beyond that of many other musicians.

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Duke Ellington with his band in Hollywood, California, 1937Frank Driggs—Frank Driggs Collection/Hulton Archve/Getty ImagesEllington showed his determination during his lifetime both in regards to not backing down and how much he worked to make his music exceed the standards people expected of music. One example of his determined character was how he did whatever he could to pursue his musical dream, even when all looked hopeless: ”He didn't succeed at first (he later said that he and his friends were so broke they had to split a hot dog three ways), but by 1924 he was leading his Washingtonians at a Broadway nightclub and making his first records”("Duke Ellington DISCovering"). As exemplified, Ellington had almost nothing at one point during his career, and nothing looked like it was going anywhere. However, this shows how he was filled with determination as most would back down and get a well-paying job and give up, but he kept going and pursued his dreams and never backed down, no matter how rough life became. To stand out, he took the extra effort to personalize parts for his bandmates and even created personal songs for them: “Always sensitive to the nuances (small variations) of tone of his soloists (single performers), Ellington wrote features for inpidual sidemen and used his knowledge of their characteristic sounds when composing other works”("Ellington, Duke"). In pursuit of style and good rhythm, he took the extra effort and wrote different parts for each instrument and inpidualized each section of the band to make the music feel more alive and personal to his bandmates. Even writing personal parts and solos for people in his band, he exemplified his determination to stand out and keep everything interesting. He also carefully analyzed how each instrument worked well together to best make his music feel strong and alive with the beat. Duke Ellington showed his strong determination throughout his life and in every little thing he did, whether it be for his band or for himself.

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Duke Ellington showed determination and passion in works and therefore, he was a hero. He worked hard in everything he did and never gave up, and innovated new things to make himself stand out. He is an inspiration to many, because although his talent wasn't much above average, his style and determination to succeed showed his ability to be skillful in the music industry. ”Duke Ellington was a distinctive and pivotal figure in the world of jazz. While many critics agree that his flair for style far exceeded his raw musical talent, few dispute the significance of his impact on the music scene in the United States and abroad”("Duke Ellington." Contemporary Black Biography). He wasn't necessarily the best musician ever, or even the most educated, but his style is what really got people interested in him and his music. He toyed with the idea that the Harlem Renaissance was happening and helped promote people indulging in music, fun, and a general good time, and thus, he was a hero in the jazz and music industry.

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Works Consulted

“Duke Ellington.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 Jan. 2018, www.biography.com/people/duke-ellington-9286338.

"Duke Ellington." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 5, Gale, 1993. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606001234/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=a722bca7. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.

"Duke Ellington." DISCovering Multicultural America: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Gale, 2003. Research in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2116103901/MSIC?u=powa9245&sid=MSIC&xid=8bd35abb. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.

"Ellington, Duke." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by Laura B. Tyle, vol. 4, UXL, 2003, pp. 678-680. Gale Virtual Reference Library, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3437500292/GVRL?u=powa9245&sid=GVRL&xid=ebb32ec5. Accessed 31 Jan. 2018.