Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington (1899–1974) was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader whose work shaped twentieth-century music.
Leading his orchestra for nearly fifty years, he composed thousands of pieces—from three-minute songs like Take the A Train to extended suites.
His name is synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance and the elevation of jazz as an art form.
Patterned stress and silence
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- big bandLarge jazz ensemble
- danceRhythmic bodily movement
lindy hop · Savoy Ballroom · Cotton Club · jitterbug · ballroom · uptempo · caravan · hot jazz
Large instrumental ensemble
- ensembleUnified group or outfit
- big bandLarge jazz ensemble
- sidemenSupporting band members
- Cotton ClubLegendary Harlem jazz venue
One who orders elements
- compositionArranged elements forming whole
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
- orchestrationScoring for instrumental ensemble
- suiteConnected hotel rooms
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- bebopFast, complex jazz style
- blue noteFlatted pitch in jazz
- standardsAccepted levels of quality
- jam sessionInformal improvisational music gathering
soloing · cool jazz · hard bop · Harlem · stride piano · call and response · jazz composition · jazz piano
Pictorial screen symbol
- pioneerEarly explorer or settler
- maestroDistinguished musical leader
- innovatorCreator of new methods
- geniusPerson of rare brilliance
trailblazer · visionary · luminary · Pulitzer Prize · Grammy · Kennedy Center · Harlem Renaissance · cultural ambassador
rhythm
Patterned stress and silence
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- big bandLarge jazz ensemble
dance · lindy hop · Savoy Ballroom · Cotton Club · jitterbug · ballroom · uptempo · caravan · hot jazz
orchestra
Large instrumental ensemble
arranger
One who orders elements
- compositionArranged elements forming whole
- scoreNumerical standing in competition
- orchestrationScoring for instrumental ensemble
improvisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
jam session · soloing · cool jazz · hard bop · Harlem · stride piano · call and response · jazz composition · jazz piano
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Pictorial screen symbol
genius · trailblazer · visionary · luminary · Pulitzer Prize · Grammy · Kennedy Center · Harlem Renaissance · cultural ambassador · American music
- 1920s Musicjazz, ragtime, Charleston, Dixieland, blues
- Early 20th Century MusiciansLouis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Enrico Caruso, Scott Joplin, George Gershwin
- Jazz ArtistsMiles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker
- 1920s IconsBabe Ruth, Charlie Chaplin, Al Capone, Charles Lindbergh, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- 20th Century IconsEinstein, Churchill, Gandhi, Hitler, FDR
- Black MusiciansAretha Franklin, Beyonce, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder