by: Jesse Lu

Duke Ellington was one of the most iconic figures in the 1920s. Most notably a prolific composer, he was also a bandleader and pianist. With a career spanning over fifty years, he is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated musicians of all time. Duke was born and raised in Washington DC, with his two parents both playing the piano. He was taking lessons at the age of seven and was exposed to music extremely early. His nickname “Duke” was given to him on account of his smooth, easy grace that gave him the swag of a gentleman.

A picture of Duke Ellington in a well-tailored tuxedo

Even someone like Duke Ellington had his humble beginnings and early troubles in life. In his teenage years, he was more interested in baseball than piano. His first composition, called “Soda Fountain Rag”, was written while working as a soda jerk, before he had learned to read or write music. At the age of fourteen, Ellington sneaked into a poolroom, and hearing the pianists play ignited his musical passion and caused him to take his studies seriously.

His career started when he moved to Harlem and became a key contributor to the cultural breakouts of the movement that later became known as the Harlem Renaissance. At first, his band was desperate for business and played anywhere they could to make money and spread their name. Later that year, Ellington was facing growing difficulties and was forced to move back to Washington DC, where he played in the Exclusive Club and enjoyed much more success. He produced his first eight records in 1924, and this is where his career truly began to bloom. By the 1930’s, Ellington was the lead conductor of his band from the keyboard. His musical prowess allowed him to keep making music even through the Great Depression, and him and his band eventually performed overseas and gained the respect of foreign critics in England. Duke Ellington continued to compose and perform until his last breath, with which he said “Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered.”

A picture of Duke Ellington with his orchestra

The most notable characteristic of Duke Ellington is not the huge collection of awards and accomplishments in his trophy case, but it is instead the intangible contributions he made to jazz as a genre of music and the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Ellington was not only proficient in the common practices of jazz, but he was also a genius mind. Although various musicians in his band were incredible in their own right, it was Ellington who eventually brought them together to form the best-known unit in the history of jazz. What an accomplishment.

Album cover of Duke Ellington’s album “At Newport”

Duke Ellington was the first band director to use the “big-band” the way that he did due to his energy, enthusiasm, and charisma. Because of his innovative methods of composing, conducting, and delivery, he elevated jazz to the level of many other traditional styles of music, a feat that will go down in history as one of the greatest musical accomplishments ever.

A video of Duke Ellington performing “It Don’t Mean A Thing”

Duke Ellington’s career was extremely long and prestigious, with multiple accomplishments in different dimensions of jazz. However, the significance of this legendary figure to the 1920s is probably one of his most influential achievements for the fact that it ignited a cultural revolution and growing pride in African American art forms.