Who was Duke Ellington and what did he contribute to the Harlem Renaissance?
Duke Ellington was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time. One of the originators of big-band jazz, he led his band for more than 50 years and composed thousands of scores.
How did Edward Ellington contribute to the renaissance?
Duke Ellington (among other artists) played a major role in the development of the Harlem Renaissance. He was a Jazz artist who played with a big band in popular clubs such as the Cotton club. He composed thousands of songs and is noted as a key figure in the history and development of jazz music.
Why was Duke Ellington important in the 1920s?
Born in Washington, D.C., Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington rose to fame at Harlem’s Cotton Club in the late 1920s. His career as a musician, composer, and bandleader spanned more than 50 years.
How did Duke Ellington change history?
Leading and anchoring his ever-evolving band for half a century, Ellington showed how the American Orchestra could achieve a perfect balance of music that was both shaped by the composer while also birthed on the spot by the musicians, while also creating art that swung relentlessly while also achieving the heights of …
What impact did Duke Ellington have on history?
Duke Ellington was one of the most important creative forces in the music of the twentieth century. His influence on classical music, popular music, and, of course, jazz, simply cannot be overstated. He was born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899, into a middle class black family.
Who did Duke Ellington learn from?
Marietta Clinkscales
What was Duke Ellington’s legacy?
Duke Ellington saw writing music as his primary purpose in life, and he took a complex, multi-layered and strikingly original approach to composing. His creative work consumed him around the clock, and Ellington’s musical legacy became a timeless contribution to American music.
Did Duke Ellington ever get married?
On July 2, 1918, Ellington married Edna Thompson who was from a prominent Washington family. On March 11, 1919, their son, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born.
Where did Duke Ellington died?
New York, NY
What was Count Basie’s real name?
William James Basie
Who married Count Basie?
Catherine Morganm. 1942–1983
Who did Count Basie inspire?
Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal tutelage on the organ from the latter. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit.
How did Count Basie change jazz?
He was the arbiter of the big-band swing sound and his unique style of fusing blues and jazz established swing as a predominant music style. Basie changed the jazz landscape and shaped mid-20th century popular music, duly earning the title “King of Swing” because he made the world want to dance.
How old is Countbasie?
79 years (1904–1984)
Did Count Basie read music?
Then when he develops his big band, he reunites with [arranger] Eddie Durham. See, Basie couldn’t read music, so it was Eddie Durham who orchestrated his ideas for the Moten band [for which Basie played piano] and then later for the Basie band in New York for those Decca recordings.
How did Count Basie play the piano?
His father played the E-flat horn, and his mother, a piano player, taught her son, born William, to play the instrument that would make him famous. In a school band, Count played the drums, but was discouraged when another boy played better than him, so he decided to try his hand at the piano.
Why is Count Basie called Count?
Susan Lewis: Basie had played on the vaudeville circuit and for other bands, but in 1937, One O’Clock Jump was a hit for his own band, the Barons of Rhythm. And that was the Basie sound. SL: An enthusiastic radio announcer gave him the nickname that stuck—and Count Basie became a big name in swing.