Duke Ellington Research Paper

1342 Words6 Pages
Seayer Zadran Music 4 Professor Garner 22 November 2014 A Look Into Duke Ellington’s Musical Life Gunther Schuller once wrote in 1989: "Ellington composed incessantly to the very last days of his life. Music was indeed his mistress; it was his total life and his commitment to it was incomparable and unalterable. In jazz he was a giant among giants. And in twentieth century music, he may yet one day be recognized as one of the half-dozen greatest masters of our time" (Wikipedia). Duke Ellington was recognized as one man’s most influential jazz musicians due to the fact that he not only wrote many, many compositions, but he managed to draw them out in unique, and complex forms, making him easily stand out as a unique individual. Ellington was…show more content…
For instance, PBS notes that Ellington was able to tune the essential elements of songs like “minstrel song, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley tunes, the blues, and American appropriations of the European music tradition” into a nature that made the song simply, but while emotionally and genuinely impacting the listener in a positive way (PBS.org). What made Ellington’s contributions so appreciated and praised was that he was able to make the music of Jazz into just as well as a noble, and prestigious art in comparison to classical music, or other traditional forms of…show more content…
What made him stand out as a conductor was that he managed to maintain his orchestra by his sense of friendly, humor-like method, which turned out to work successfully in his favors. From the period 1932 to that of 1936, Ellington signed himself with Brunswick. Due to the help of the radio, Ellington was still known, despite the tragic effects the Depression had on his works. Ellington however still managed to press on with his hard work and continued to do what he loved, touring his orchestra, even overseas. At that point, Ellington was officially known internationally. Although during that time, Ellington did have to run through very challenging and impressive competitors; however his group still stood strong due to Ellington’s unique spin he has on his compositions, making his music much more powerful and rich and enjoyable by a sea of
Show More
Related

  • Duke Ellington Research Paper

    1117 Words  | 5 Pages

    Duke Ellington: A 20th Century Musical Genius Nicholas J. Marlatt Indiana Wesleyan University Abstract This written report about Duke Ellington focuses in depth about his early life and his career. This paper shows What Duke Ellington has done and the Jazz innovator that he is. This written report will also focus in depth on his compositions “C-Jam Blues” and “Such Sweet Thunder” and will talk a little about his life before he became famous; his background, childhood, his early career

    Read More

More about Duke Ellington Research Paper

Open Document