Duke Ellington (jan 1, 1899 – aug 1, 1974)
Description:
an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than six decades.Duke Ellington also sought to blend jazz and classical music, but from the perspective of an African American jazz composer approaching classical music.
In the early 1930s he announced that he was writing a piece that would “portray the experiences of the coloured races in America in the syncopated idiom.”
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1899
aug 1, 1974
~ 75 years