Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899–May 24, 1974) was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who has been one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music. As a composer and a bandleader especially, Ellington's reputation has increased since his death, with thematic repackagings of his signature music often becoming best-sellers.
A man of suave demeanor and puckish wit that often masked occasional brusqueness, Ellington preferred to call his ...Read More >