Product Description

Few American artists in any medium have enjoyed the international and lasting cultural impact of Duke Ellington. From jazz standards such as “Mood Indigo” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” to his longer, more orchestral suites, to his leadership of the stellar big band he toured and performed with for decades after most big bands folded, Ellington represented a singular, pathbreaking force in music over the course of a half-century. At the same time, as one of the most prominent black public figures in history, Ellington demonstrated leadership on questions of civil rights, equality, and America’s role in the world.

With Duke Ellington’s America, Harvey G. Cohen paints a vivid picture of Ellington’s life and times, taking him from his youth in the black middle class enclave of Washington, D.C., to the heights of worldwide acclaim. Mining extensive archives, many never before available, plus new interviews with Ellington’s friends, family, band members, and business associates, Cohen illuminates his constantly evolving approach to composition, performance, and the music business—as well as issues of race, equality and religion. Ellington’s own voice, meanwhile, animates the book throughout, giving Duke Ellington’s America an intimacy and immediacy unmatched by any previous account.

By far the most thorough and nuanced portrait yet of this towering figure, Duke Ellington’s America highlights Ellington’s importance as a figure in American history as well as in American music.

Customer Reviews (5)

A missed opportunity
Duke Ellington could be a fascinating subject to be written about. Unfortunately, after reading it only partially, I gave it up after the first two hundred pages. It seems that the author does not make up his mind about one central issue, perhaps the most essential one of all: who was the Duke?
Instead, there are endless repetitions about his financial situation, his various sums of money that he had made during his illustrious career. Thiscatalogue of sums is hyper-emphasized so many times that I started wondering whether the author thought his readers suffered from some king of mental deficiency. With the exception of some individual passages describing the various concerts Ellington and his orchestras had during the Cold War as well as some statements about his concern for the welfare of the Blacks in the USA, this book is a waste of time, a waste of money and I concur with one of the previous critics here on this site about the fact that there was no editing done, or if there was such, the editor had perhaps missed some very important grammar and style classes in school. A great disappointment.

Too much, too awkward
Being a lifelong fan of Duke Ellington's music, and being familiar with most of the books written abouthim, I grabbed Mr. Cohen's book from the shelf the moment I saw it. Once I started reading, I realized it was a good thing I was such a fan. Otherwise, I never would have finished it.

Mr. Cohen has done a prodigious amount of research, uncovering a lot of previously unpublished material. But someone should have explained to him: just because you've found new material doesn't mean you have to print ALL of it.

Repetition is one of the book's greatest faults, along with Mr. Cohen's turgid, awkward, clumsy writing style. The book reads as if it had been translated phonetically from the original German.

The reviewer who said he needed a tough editor was right.The book would have been much better with prudent but ruthless inside cutting -- two or three phrases here, a couple of sentences there, an entire paragraph now and then. The result would have been a book 50pages shorter and considerably cleaner and more enjoyable for the reader.

Where's an editor when you need one?
There was much in the initial stirrings that made lugging around Mr. Cohen's tome on Ellington seem worthwhile.The mist faded, however, less than 100 pages in when I could no longer figure out where the author stood.Paragraphs alternate between demystifying Ellington's "genius" as simply genius marketing strategy to attributing (ad nauseum) his success to this very genius that was suspect enough to be placed in quotation marks to begin with.Said Marketing strategy becomes a four letter word for how many times it is printed and I began to wonder just when in Mr. Cohen's mind did such repetition stand in for cohesiveness.I would love to know where all of it leads, I would love to believe that enough sensitivity exists between these covers to boldly explore and highlight the relationship between an artist and a leader like Ellington and his sharply divided country.But at some point you simply have to get to the point.A good editor could have focused Cohen's fumblings into a lean mean 300 page machine.On this one, I say, if curiosity gets the better of you, save your hard earned money and borrow from your local library instead.

Excellent with a minor caveat
This book is an outstanding analysis of the person Duke Ellington was. Having followed his music to a modest degree I was intrigued about the author's focus on Ellington as a person and his socio-political views. The book is extremely well-written and easy to read. I disagree with the recent NYTimes review which argued that although they liked the book, their criticism was the lack of discussion about Ellington's music. In this case, I think it's completely appropriate and helpful NOT to go into technical discussions about Ellington's music. I am not a musician and I'm not interested in the specifics about technically what Ellington did. As Ellington himself would not, if the music moves you (e.g., the listener) then that's what matters. My personal feeling is that if you want to understand/hear Ellington's music, you buy the music and draw your own conclusions.

Cohen's focus on Ellington's 1960's work was also very illuminative. I liked his analysis about how Ellington (to a fault) refused to acknowledge his age (and impending mortality).

My ONLY significant wish about this book is that Cohen should have contrasted Ellington with other seminal African-American artists who were in similar positions to Ellington (although at different points in his life). For example there is virtually no discussion about the roles of Paul Robeson, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, John Coltrane or Marian Anderson, all of whom held unique positions as African-American artists. The lack of comparison/contrast to particularly Robeson, Cole (and to a lesser degree Louis Armstrong - who Cohen does discuss a little more), creates the false impression that Ellington was truly alone as a prominent African-American artist. The sole compatriot which Cohen does draw an analogy to is Langston Hughes which is a thoughtful and insightful analysis.

Another minor point of regret is I wish Cohen had discussed Ellington's relationship with Billy Strayhorn more. Although he does discuss how Strayhorn's death affected Ellington, there is a lot more which could be discussed.

Overall if you want to understand who Duke Ellington was and his contributions to American culture (and obviously jazz) I would highly recommend this book.

Excellent Ellington biography!
Biographer Harvey G. Cohen has made a valuable contribution to understanding the complicated work, life and times of Duke Ellington. Despite the academic approach the 600+ page book is an accessible and enjoyable read. Although Cohen clearly is a fan, he never gets carried away by his admiration for the Duke, and keeps the kind of critical distance necessary for a good biography. Highly recommended, not only for Ellington aficionados, but for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of 20th century American cultural developments, and more specifically, the roles of African-American art and artists. ... Read more

Product Description
Another stunning picture book biography of a prominent twentieth-century African-American in the arts, from the creative team behind Alvin Ailey. Amazon.com Review
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, "King of theKeys," was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. "Hewas a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," writesmaster wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging proseof this excellent biography for early readers. It was ragtime musicthat first "set Duke's fingers to wiggling." He got back towork and taught himself to "press on the pearlies." Soon19-year-old Duke was playing compositions "smoother than ahairdo sleeked with pomade" at parties, pool halls, countryclubs, and cabarets. Skipping from D.C. to 1920s Harlem, "theplace where jazz music ruled," Duke and his small band called theWashingtonians began performing in New York City clubs, including theCotton Club, where Duke Ellington and his Orchestra was officiallyborn. By 1943, Duke Ellington--writer of more than 1000 compositions,including ballet and film scores, orchestral suites, musicals, andchoral works--had made it all the way to Carnegie Hall.

We applaudthis talented husband-and-wife team--award-winning illustrator BrianPinkney and writer Andrea Pinkney--for making music fly in thisfantastic tribute to a jazz legend. Andrea does an extraordinary jobof translating music into words, with blues "deeper than the deepblue sea" and "hot-buttered bob, with lots of sassy-cooltones," while her husband visually interprets the movement ofmusic as spirals, waves, and swirls of color, prepared as scratchboardrenderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. Andrea writes,"Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like akite tail in the wind. A musical loop-de-loop, with a serioustwist," while Brian paints those curling notes, theloop-de-loops, and the kite sailing up to the New York Cityskyline. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and beauty of the storyitself, and may even be inspired to give Raffi a rest and swing withthe Duke! (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson,Amazon.com Kids editor ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

excellent choice
I am an elementary school music teacher & I ordered this book for my classroom.When I read through it upon receiving my order I was immediately impressed! The art work is amazing & the story is very child friendly.You will be pleased with this book as a parent or teacher.It is a wonderful resource!

"Duke Ellington" continues to jazz it up
If the brilliant colors and impressive images don't catch your attention, then the amazingly written story of Edward Kennedy Ellington will.

"Duke Ellington" throws the reader into the early 1900's with its slang talk and direct narrative.The reader becomes a part of the story as the narrator tells about how Duke started out being bored by the piano, and then grew to love it when he heard ragtime being played.Andrea Davis Pinkney makes this a fun book for readers by describing the sounds of all the instruments with such detail that one could imagine they are actually hearing Duke's music being played just for them.I became enthralled with the vivid pictures depicting jazz as one might sense it if they had been there."Duke Ellington" has won both the Caldecott Honor award, and the Coretta Scott King Award.This book is a good, fun, imaginative read for all ages.

Excellent read aloud
As an elementary school library specialist, this is my all time favorite read aloud. I utilized music/sound files on the web to have the King of the Keys himself accompany his biography. The text itself is a story to be read out loud. A teacher commented that this was his favorite read aloud and I believe a student favorite of all the grades I read this to (grades 3-6). Students were swaying, snapping their fingers, and just tapping away. The older kids didn't do that, but when the music ended, they asked for a repeat and I obliged. Hats off to you Ms. Pinkney!

Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. - D.E.
Being a relatively new reader of children's books, I tend to go about my systematic reading of all good picture books out there in a backwards manner.Case in point, Andrea Davis Pinkney.I first came across this writer, and her talented hubby Brian, through their lovely, "Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuoso".It was through that book that I discovered that the art of scratchboard (remember having to do those in elementary school?) can produce some truly fabulous picture book art.After reading "Ella" I doubled back and found her 1999 Caldecott Honor winning baby, "Duck Ellington".The book that started it all.Also using scratchboard (and without relying on fictional talking felines ala "Ella") the book is a whirlwind biography of one of the world's jazzy greats.There are tons of picture books about jazz musicians out there today.Only one, however, has garnered both the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Honor.

In this tale we meet Duke from his baseball playing days in Washington, D.C. Children everywhere will sympathize when Duke decides that learning to play the piano is a waste of his time and that he'd much rather be out and about with his friends.Fast forward a couple years and an older pool shooting Duke hears the sweet sounds of ragtime for the very first time.Suddenly the piano doesn't sound so lame, and Duke teaches himself the rudiments of it immediately.Over time, his particular style and talents get him jobs in clubs and cabarets and at last he forms his own band.From here on in the book's a whirlwind series of visits to places like the Cotton Club (which I think illustrator Brian Pinkney probably failed to base after the real club itself) and, at long last, New York's Carnegie Hall in 1943.A matter-of-fact bio at the back as well as a complete bibliography of sources (well done there) round out this lively encapsulation of a life.

Kids are often assigned biographies in school, and "Duke Ellington" has the advantage of being both interesting and filled to the brim with sources and facts.The story is as lively as Ms. Pinkney could make it, often going into deep descriptions of individual players' talents in the Duke's band.The art is lovely as well.Using luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint and then rendering it in a scratchboard style, there's a real throbbing beauty to some of these paintings.In a final picture Duke conducts his band in a purple suit and the notes of the players curl out as almost iridescent swirls and waves.Altogether lovely.

In many ways, the book's going to be a bore to those kinds who've never heard a jazz note in their lives and don't understand the importance.If at all possible, try finding a copy of that incredibly amazing film "Cabin In the Sky" and showing it to the kids and THEN give them this book.The movie's worth checking out and Duke (with his orchestra) is wonderful in it.

Though this is perhaps not my favorite jazz picture book out there (I've still some very fond feelings for "Charlie Parker Played Be Bop") it's still quite a wonder and worth checking out.A necessary addition to any well-rounded children's biography section of their local library.

Singin' and Swingin'
Edward Kennedy Ellington, who preferred being called Duke, didn't like playing the piano at first.As the book made out, he considered piano lessons a chore, although it doesn't directly say this in the text.The boring "umpy-dumpy" noises that the piano made when he hit the keys made him soon quit lessons so he could pursue the interests of a regular boy.It would be a couple of years later until Duke would start practicing piano once more.

In what looks like a pool hall, Duke discovers a new way of playing piano.His discovery is ragtime.The ragtime music isn't boring and repetitve as the type of music he had practiced as a boy.This music gives of a rythmical sensation throughout the body.Duke is soon in love with the piano.And he starts practicing with the little knowledge of the piano he has. He is soon good enough to have his own band and becomes a frequent performer at the Cotton Club.Duke records many hit songs in his life and becomes known as "The King of the Keys".

Pinkney's unusually good painting are very enjoyable and I really like the way that the musical chords showed up to let the reader know that music was being played. ... Read more

Product Description
Duke Ellington is universally recognized as one of the towering figures of 20th-century music, both a brilliant composer and one of the preeminent musicians in jazz history. Now, in The Duke Ellington Reader, Mark Tucker offers the first historical anthology of writings about this major African-American musician. The volume includes over a hundred selections--interviews, critical essays, reviews, memoirs, and over a dozen writings by Ellington himself--with generous introductions and annotations for each selection provided by the editor. The result is a unique sourcebook that illuminates Ellington's work and reveals the profound impact his music has made on listeners over the years.The writers gathered here represent a Who's Who of jazz criticism: Gunther Schuller, Whitney Balliett, Martin Williams, Gary Giddins, Stanley Crouch, Albert Murray, Nat Hentoff, Hugues Panassie, Stanley Dance, to name just a few. Their writings span Ellington's entire career, from the days when Duke Ellington's Washingtonians appeared at New York's Club Kentucky, to the Duke's glorious reign at the Cotton Club, to his later years as global ambassador of American music. Throughout the book, the reader receives a balanced overview of Ellington's life as composer and performer, as public personality and private individual.This is a landmark volume in jazz criticism, and a kaleidoscopic portrait of Duke Ellington's creative world, documenting his extraordinary achievements as composer, songwriter, bandleader, and pianist. It is an essential companion for Ellington enthusiasts, jazz fans, and all lovers of American music.Amazon.com Review
This superb anthology covers the entire length of thecomposer's career, from his landfall in Manhattan in 1923 to the OldMaster period of the early 1970s. There are dozens of reviews, essays,appreciations, and memoirs, written not only by music critics but bysuch heavy hitters as Ralph Ellison, Simone de Beauvoir(!), and BlaiseCendrars. The book also includes a selection of Ellington's owndicta--be sure not to overlook his 1937 polemic from "DownBeat": "Ellington Refutes Cry That Swing Started SexCrimes!" Superbly edited and endlessly intriguing, theReader is an essential volume for Ellington nuts and neophytesalike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A masterful piece of scholarship
What do I have to say about this collection? Maybe not much, but when I saw that there was only one review I decided that I needed to add something. Why? Because if you care about Duke Ellington's music, the people who contributed to making it, and the history of its reception, then YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THIS BOOK!!! Mark Tucker's early death robbed the world of an incredibly important scholar, and his self-effacing brilliance as an editor is everywhere in evidence in this tome. Most of the key articles that one needs to read in order to get a picture of Duke's path to centrality in the Jazz Canon (and the pantheon of American Music in general) are reprinted here, and you cannot perhaps really appreciate how fantastic that is unless you spent half of your young life tracking them down one by one - as I did.

superb book but not for the new intitiate
This is one of the finest books I have read on Duke Ellington, beautifully and intricately compiled and with the voices of many on DE. It is a superb read for the Ellington aficanado; however, for new intiates to the Duke Iwouls recommend Duke Ellington: A spiritual Biography by Janna Steed, anexcellent boook but not quite so hefty and with a strong emphasis on hissacred music and concerts. But, for you aficiandos, Tucker's book is thetops! ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike other great bandleaders, Ellington personally created nearly all the music played by his orchestra. Using family papers, sheet music, and original recordings, Hasse provides a complete portrait of Ellington's great achievements. 119 photos. Tie-in with the October 1993 Duke Ellington Photographic Exhibition at the Museum of New York.Amazon.com Review
One of the 20th century's greatest composers, Duke Ellington(1899-1974) led a fascinating life. The first biography to draw on thevast Duke Ellington archives at the Smithsonian Institution, this bookrecounts the entirety of his remarkable career: his childhood inWashington, D.C. and musical apprenticeship in Harlem; his longengagement at the glamorous, gangster-owned Cotton Club; thechallenging years during the Depression; his tours to Europe and intoAmerica's deep South, where he helped lower racial barriers; thepostwar years when television and bebop threatened to eclipse the bigbands; Ellington's own triumphant comeback at the 1956 Newport JazzFestival; his collaborations with Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, EllaFitzgerald, and John Coltrane, among others; and of course, the musicitself, five decades of hits and masterpieces that constantly brokenew ground.

John Edward Hasse serves as Curator of American Musicat the Smithsonian Institution, curator of its traveling exhibitionBeyond Category, and producer and annotator of the boxed set ofrecordings by the same name. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Meandering and Ultimately Disappointing
I felt like this book skipped around too much and wasn't really well written.I wanted more analysis of the music and less of why and when Duke was popular and how many records he sold and how much money he made.David Hadju's Lush Life about Strayhorn is PHENOMONAL.Perhaps my expectations were too high?Still waiting for a great bio of the King of All - Sir Duke....

Not Merely A Genius Of Jazz...But Rather A Musical Genius!!!
His music has resonated all around us for nearly a century.We almost unconsciously react to the melodic rhythms of his brilliant compositions as we watch television or listen to the radio.Often the arrangements are backdrops to our daily lives...soothing our mood or stimulating us to tap our feet or simply sway to its almost spiritual cadences.Such is the music of the Great Duke Ellington.In "Beyond Category" we find an outstanding biography of arguably the greatest composer the world has ever known. From his early days as an aspiring composer/bandleader in Washington, D.C.; through his New York days at the Cotton Club; and onto his unprecedented tours of Europe, Africa and the Far East, this book takes you on a delightful journey into the creative mindset and personality genius of Ellington.Unlike many writings of this nature, Hasse manages to avoid sentimental veneration in conveying many of Ellington's talents in regards to people, business dealings, and his relationship with women.The book is a well-written, enjoyable composition that draws the reader into Ellington's world.Additionally, the author grants appropriate respect to the musicians, artists and businessmen who aided Ellington throughout his career, thus balancing the text superbly. I highly recommend "Beyond Category", not only for the Ellington fan or even a Jazz fan, but for anyone interested in the life and times of a musical genius and an icon of American history.

Top Ellington biography of the 3 I've read so far
Beyond Category is the best introduction to Duke Ellington's life and music. It was created to coincide with a Smithsonian exhibit and it offers a quality professional biography of Ellington's life and times. The author considers Ellington's life a series of problems to solve for his mind. Some of these problems are how to learn piano, how to start a band, how to compose with a partner, how to react to the recording band, how to deal with the loss of key soloists, how to compose larger works and ends up hitting many of the high points of Ellington's life and works.

Most of the new research at the time came from Mercer Ellington's enormous donation of his warehouse of materials for the Duke Ellington collectionl. Yet as a book intended for a popular audience, the musical content of this trove was not really fully dealt with. Mercer's collection comes through in the fabulous photographs that are interspersed throughout the book. It may have been better to have all the photographs grouped in several sections as not everyone will have time to read the entire book I suppose.

One very helpful aspect to the book was that at the end of each chapter there was a guide to key recordings of Ellington's life. This type of material is very helpful to those new to Ellington's life.

I found the prose to be clear and adequate although not as lively as some of the other excellent jazz biographies I've read such as Chambers' Milestones.

This book gets a 4.5 star rating for anyone new to Ellington. It's accessible, readable, and gives you several ideas to approach the true gold mine of Ellington's music.

For jazz researchers and scholars, there's still room for a knockout biography of Ellington that adds the information from the Smithsonian collection to wide ranging interviews and even better prose. Researchers will want to read this, but I'm not sure how much of this material is groundbreaking.

4.5 stars for neophytes
3.5 stars for Ellington scholars

4 stars overall

Better late than never
No sentimentality here. Just warm, rich story telling of a great man. I'm actually embarrassedto say that after lifetime of jazz I just dicovered The Duke. This is a very well written and balanced portrayal of a man,his music and his times. If there's more to say I don't want to read it; it's time to listen.

excellently researched book
As an old time lover of Jazz, but rather new to really examining the lives behind its great musicians, and particularly Duke Ellington, I started out with "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography" by Janna Tull Steed(great book (and just 192 pages) for anyone new to the Duke & jazz). Itwas Steed's book that really built the interest to explore Ellington inmore depth and, Hasse's book is just what I was looking for. It is a heftybook but it is absolutely and completely accessible, just what is requiredto approach this great man of Jazz. ... Read more

Product Description
Mike Venezia provides a light-hearted, yet realistic view of the life of Ellington. With colour pictures and clever illustrations children can learn about music in a fun way, opening up the world of music to them for the rest of their lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Duke Ellington by Mike Venezia
The book is only 32 pages and with only 11 pages devoted to actual text, he did an excellent job in projecting DE musical career. A wonderful gift to a child in the 4-8 age bracket. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

The Man tells it all in this flashing memoir
This is most recommended who loves Jazz and/or ever been a fan to Duke from the past and the future. I always been a long-time supporter to him since I was 9 or 10. This is definitely going into my book collection alongside Autobiography of Malcolm X, Miles: The Autobiography, Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, Hip-Hop America, As Though I Have Wings: The Lost Chet Baker Memoir, and mos definitely the Bible.

I'm a huge fan to the memoir/biography section than I do most books I read about life and stuff. This would go on forever in a lifetime.

The man in his own words
Sometimes self-serving, somewhat pretentious, but indispensable. Edward Kennedy Ellington, the greatest composer this country has ever produced, in his own words.

Class.
Classic.If you consider the classic elegance of Edward Kennedy Ellington, it should come as no surprise that his prose is as lyrical and poetic as his music.This is a wonderful collection of writings.It is in effect an arrangement of essays and short pieces written with what I suspect is love about the love of his life-jazz, or music itself, if you will.The book contains many short pieces-impressionistic sketches and characters of persons that Duke Ellington knew-musicians, friends, acquaintances, public figures.But it also has a variety of essays-longer subjects interwoven with themes and counterpoint.Ellington's is exquisitely musical prose-again, not to be surprised.The organization is chronological, narrative, more or less.Duke organizes with autobiographical passages followed by short portraits-Dramatis Felidae-that demonstrate the concreteness through brief descriptions of the persons that he knew with anecdotes that define them.The book covers a life filled with friends and experience.The variety is tremendous, and the life and the career are masterpieces.The themes and subjects are multifaceted.This is Duke Ellington's poetic literary suite posing as prose, and it should not be missed.Really-it's great poetry and a terrific compendium of jazz history and experience.

Straight from the master's mouth
I'm a great fan of autobiography.Granted, often it is sanitized and self-serving, but there's nothing like hearing a person tell their own life, especially if the life is as important as this one.Without a doubt,Duke Ellington was the century's greatest American composer and bandleader;the only ones who even come close to him (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin,Cole Porter) had neither his longevity nor his variety.And none of themalso maintained a working band through six decades!I own almost everyrecording ever released by Duke Ellington; his music has become indeliblyprinted on my brain.This book may not be the most accurate account of hislife (if you can handle a little armchair psychology, the Collier biographyis the best choice for that), but this is like sitting in a room hearingDuke talk -- and play!

Utterly Fascinating Life
Wow what a book.The best part about this book is that Duke wrote it.You get it straight from him.I recommend this book to anyone into the music.

His accounts of his younger days were what most appealed to me. He pays so much respect to the people he was surrounded by, both his familyand the community of musicians.Sometimes the many names dropped can be abit much, but that was just his style--always letting people know whohelped him, who mentored him, who taught him, who he admired.There'sscarcely a mean-spirited word in the whole book!

There is a lot ofvariety to the way he tells his stories.Sometimes its through the namedropping profiles; sometimes its through interviews reprinted for thisbook; sometimes its through out-and-out philosophical dissertations aboutmusic and life; sometimes it's in the midst of his endless travelling ofthe globe with his band.

For the musician looking for tips and advice,there's plenty of Duke wisdom provided throughout.His overall love formusic and musicians is just SOOO apparent.My favorite piece of advice isthat he said he learned music exclusively through oral instruction, frompeople in the scene who would share techniques and secrets seemingly asfreely as idle conversation (how different the musical climate is thesedays!)

The last third or so of the book get a bit tedious for thisreader.There just wasn't a lot of variety to his accounts ofglobetrotting and meeting all the important people in all the countries. What kept me going through these sections were the occasional gems ofadvice or insight, but there's more of that in the first half of the book. Thank god for the end of the book, a funny interview where the intervieweris REALLY condescending to Duke, but Duke gets through is with all thegrace, wit, intelligence, and humor that makes him such a compellingperson, composer, and most of all, a genius and musical mystic.

Thank theDuke for this book, and allowing us to get a glimpse of his life and allhis amazing stories! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Really good book
What a great book to explore jazz though the life of Duke Ellington! The activities are fun and engaging (most are appropriate for the 7 - 10 age group). I like that there is variety in the activities (everything from making instruments to writing lyrics to making corn bread!), so kids can get a more robust hands on learning experience.
While this is by no means a stand alone book on jazz, it is a great introduction to students learning about various types of music, an excellent starting book for someone doing a biography on Duke Ellington, or a jumping off point into the wonderful world of jazz. It would also make a great gift for a young, budding musician as the Duke was a great role model (I haven't read about a drug habit or wife beating or other things that tend to plague musicians of all genres throughout history).
While this book could be used in schools, it seems most appropriate for use at home with the family. There are great family activities and the way the book is written, it easily allows for parents and grandparents to expound upon "those days" that don't seem so "walked ten miles to school, uphill, in a snow storm". It allows for some great life lessons as Duke Ellington didn't just happen to be a great musician, he worked hard at it and even when he was very good - he still continued to practice and learn from others to try and get better. Pair it with samples of his music and you have a great family learning project to help bring you closer to your children in a new and exciting way.

Book Review: Duke Ellington: His Life In Jazz
Biographies can have a tough life. Their charms are often lost on young readers who are more focused on the latest hyped-up fiction or eye-catching nonfiction titles. I can see why this is the case - biographies can come across as being more utilitarian than entertaining. Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz tries its best to provide the facts in ways that will appeal to young readers. Duke Ellington... is an unquestionably well crafted title. Text that is detailed and accessible, images that are large and crystal clear, and an interactive twist make this title stand out.

With over 2,000 compositions and numerous musical achievements, Ellington's body of work was immense. Author Stephanie Stein Crease treats the musician's life and career with obvious admiration. From his early days of playing piano at parties to the formation and growth of his renowned jazz orchestra, Ellington's story is presented in a clear, conversational tone that adds to the overall readability. A time line and a multitude of sidebars help to add context.

When I first saw this book, the thing that stuck with me was the "with 21 activities" in the title. I wondered how well this would work. The verdict? Not too shabby. The various, step-by-step Ellington-related activities range from the just for fun (make a concert poster) to more in depth (writing your own blues melody). This mix was a good choice - it allows a wide variety of readers to take part if they like. Musical talent is not required.

While it's likely that only the most interested of young readers will read this title cover to cover, Duke Ellington... will also ably serve students who are looking for facts or working on a biography of the man. If you're looking for an update in your Ellington bio section, this will make an excellent choice.

Things ain't what they used to be
I'm naturally suspicious around children's informational books that seem deemed strictly for educational purposes.And any book that contains the words "with 21 Activities" is going to raise my alarum bells right from the start.I start thinking to myself, "What, the life of Duke Ellington is so dull that you had to pep it up with `activities' to make it palatable to teachers?"Because, honestly, any book that so prominently displays its educational components is appealing not to youngsters but to the teachers who will be assigning said book.As it happens, Duke Ellington really was an almost too calm, sane person to write a biography about.Sure, he was at the forefront of the jazz movement and he is remembered has a heckuva composer in his own right.However, his life wasn't filled with drug overdoses, drunken fights, fifty ex-wives, or anything particularly heady or exploitative.So setting his life within the context of his time, author Stephanie Stein Crease gives the man his due, throws in some goofy activities on the side, and the result is a book that surpasses its initial educational trappings.While it might be up for debate whether any child would read this title for pleasure rather than for an assignment, it's still going to give them a bit of insight into a man, his life, and the world in which he operated/conquered.

He was born Edward Kennedy Ellington, a smart, baseball-loving kid from D.C.He wasn't even into jazz or ragtime until at 14, when he got caught up in the popular music scene.Suddenly those piano lessons he took as a kid didn't seem so lame after all.Applying himself, Duke (as he was now known for his snappy dress and style) learned from whatever great artist he happened to run across.He learned how to write music, play the piano, and (eventually) how to organize and run a band of his own.Over decades, Duke Ellington perfected his craft and found the best possible talents to join his incredible orchestra. A list of resources is included in the back of this book for further reading and information.

Since we're dealing with children's literature here, Crease probably had to tame down some of the bawdier aspects of life during the jazz age.Heck the origins of the word "jazz" wouldn't be proper fare for the under 15 set anyway.Still, making the era utterly sexless wouldn't be right either, so you get hints of it here and there.One of Duke's first big hits composed as a teenager was "What You Gonna Do When the Bed Breaks Down?" (a slow song, appropriately enough). There are a lot of facts here people probably wouldn't know about Duke's life too.For example, one of Duke's radio series was sponsored by the U.S. Treasury Department.This came in handy later on when he needed buses for touring during WWII (not an easy thing to get at that time).

Crease examines the man's life from birth on up.Duke was a middle class kid from a supportive family and community.He started young, got big young, and stayed big even in the post-jazz era when rock and roll started to dominate.The author then comes to several interesting suppositions, most of which I agreed with, some that I found questionable.For example, I don't know that I'd agree that the terms vaudeville and minstrel shows are unfamiliar "to many people" today.I feel as if most people know what they mean, if they've never seen them firsthand.

Crease also has a tendency to try to relate situations and moments in the past in contemporary terms.That's a risky business right there, since you're basically placing your historical non-fiction title in very contemporary (and easily dated) terms.So when she says that the battle of the bands was "the forerunner of American Idol or TV talent contests" that's going to help a couple kids now.In the future, however, children who check this book out will read that line in the same way "the forerunner of American Bandstand" would read to kids now.It's not an insurmountable problem (and American Idol is actually invoked more than once), but it can be a little distracting.

Of course, it's a visually arresting book, no question.Long and thin, this sturdy paperback is filled with photographs, sidebars, cutaways, and images.There are separate boxes that give some background to the world surrounding Ellington during his formative years.For example, there's a nice section about that newfangled object the piano, described here as "the heart of the home and ... the family's entertainment center."Altogether, the design is superb, working to suck the reader into Duke's story and the story of the jazz age as well.

And then there are the 21 activities, as advertised on the cover.A lot of them involve designing album jackets or sheet music covers or concert posters, but others require a bit more creativity.There's an activity based on writing lyrics to orchestral Ellington tunes that would be a pretty smart use of a creative kid's time.Suggestions of various Ellington tunes (and which CDs you can find to get them) are included as well.Mind you, the activities do get a little wacky once in a while.For example, there's actually a recipe in here on how to "Make Corn Bread for a Rent Party".I say it's a little wacky, but the recipe actually looks pretty delicious.Wouldn't mind trying that one out sometime myself.Other unconventional activities include how to "Make Costumes for a Floor Show" (a lotta feathers and top hats are involved), "Dancing Rope Trick," and "Host a Jam Session".

Though I found little problems here and there, as a whole I think "Duke Ellington" is a strong title.Will kids read it for fun?Some might. Maybe. Perhaps. And those who are assigned a biography to do might find themselves interested in the activities and photographs that pepper the pages.It's certainly a boon to teachers who are desperately searching for projects to do with kids assigned to study up on the Harlem Renaissance, the Jazz Age, or the life and times of Duke Ellington.Not the easiest book to write, but a successful effort just the same. ... Read more

Product Description
Exciting new solo arrangements of 24 beloved Duke Ellington songs, including: Caravan * Don't Get Around Much Anymore * It Don't Mean a Thing * Mood Indigo * Satin Doll * Take the "A" Train * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Numerous printing errors in the chord changes
The vast majority of the pieces in this book have extensive and serious errors in the chord changes.Most jazz players refer to the chord changes, so be forewarned. Flat signs are missing everywhere in the chord changes - in the chord root and alterations.There are no errors in the music notes on the staff, which is how you can verify which changes are wrong.Only 5 pieces in this book are accurate.I brought this problem to the attention of Hal Leonard, after having spent over an hour detailing examples of the pieces, measures, errors.Shockingly, they told me that I didn't understand the use of "accidentals" and that I needed to study music theory.I fell off my chair laughing!
Here's the reply from Hal Leonard Customer Service:We think that you are missing a key point of music notation: any accidentals that appear in the key signature are not re-printed throughout the music.We would suggest that you begin studying music theory.Hal Leonard publishes titles designed to help you in this endeavor....
So if you buy this book, enjoy the printed music, but plan to correct the changes in all except 5 of the pieces in this book if you want to play the changes.

Sweet Ellington in very playable arrangements
Maybe the previous reviewer is a more advanced pianist than I, but I found these arrangements to be irresistable. They have all the intricate harmonies Ellington was famous for, and are just plain fun to play. They are of medium difficulty, but sound great. My favorite "Take the A Train" really swings! I performed several of these numbers at a party and they were very well received. On a few numbers (Satin Doll, for example), by simply playing the bass part an octave lower(or in octaves), the sound was much richer and more satisfying.

Duke Ellington: 26 arrangements for piano solo
This collection includes some of the best Ellington tunes. Level of (piano) difficulty is medium; no lyrics and no chord names are included. Arrangements are "nice" considering Ellington's complex harmonies: they give you the flavor of the band/piano arrangements, but they are in NO WAY near the level of Ellington's playing in terms of complexity and interest. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

First person insights into the maestro and his incredible band
This is a selection of interviews compiled by Duke's close friend and jazz critic-historian, Stanley Dance, who delivered the eulogy at Duke's funeral. The reader will benefit from personal rememberances by Duke and key members of the band, recounted in their own words. ... Read more

Product Description
A fantastic collection, including 14 pages of photos with a biography. Forty-two titles include all of Ellington's classics: Creole
* Love Call
* Don't Get Around Much Anymore
* I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
* In a Sentimental Mood
* It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
* Mood Indigo
* Satin Doll and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Great Music of Duke Ellington
This book contains a 14 page overview of Duke's career and the words and music to over 40 songs, which are:
Albamy Home
Azure
Birmingham Breakdown
Black Butterfly
Bli-blip
Boy Meets Horn
The Brown Skin Gal in the Calico Gown
Caravan
Come Sunday
The Creole Love Call
Day Dream
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
Doin' The Crazy Walk
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Echoes Of Harlem
Everything But You
Five O'Clock Drag
The Gal From Joe's
Gypsy Without A Song
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
I Never Felt This Way Before
I'm Just A Lucky So And So
I'm Riding On The Moon And Dancing On The Stars
I'm So In Love With You
In A Sentimental Mood
It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
Jeep Is Jumping
Lady In Blue
Lost In Meditation
Love You Madly
Mood Indigo
Paris Blues
Please Forgive Me
Prelude To A Kiss
Ring Dem Bells
Rockin' In Rhythm
Satin Doll
Solitude
Something To Live For
Sophisticated Lady
Take The "A" Train ... Read more

Product Description
17 transcriptions of one of the greatest piano players of our time performing the works of one of the greatest composers of our time. Includes: Band Call * C-Jam Blues * Caravan * Cotton Tail * Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me * Don't Get Around Much Anymore * I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good * In a Mellow Tone * John Hardy's Wife * Just a Settin' and a Rockin' * Night Train * Prelude to a Kiss * Rockin' in Rhythm * Satin Doll * Sophisticated Lady * Take the "A" Train * Things Ain't What They Used to Be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great transcription
This book provides great insight into Oscar Peterson's famous style.Unlike the other Hal Leonard book on Duke Ellington piano solos, thankfully the chord changes in this book are accurate.Enjoy studying and playing his chord voicings.Be aware that OP plays many of these pieces in a key to suit his preferences, so it is not always the standard key that you may expect for the tune.

How fast can your fingers go?
Although I've been playing keyboards for over thirty years, I've only been playing jazz piano for six months, and let me say right away: I can't play a darn thing out of this book...yet. But, shortly after I got "Night Train", I went on a Duke Ellington kick, and it didn't take me long to figure I wanted to have a look at how one master of jazz treated another. So, although I've only delved briefly into this book, I expect it will be providing me tons of ideas and licks to insert in my own weighted-toward-the-standards jazz repertoire. And when I can finally play a little of what Oscar actually played, I'll know I've arrived. Anyway, this book is well organized, contains a great selection of songs, and is true to Peterson's and Ellington's work, making it a very valuable piece of written music for any jazz pianist.

Very Difficult!
This is a great volume of sheet music to get, it includes many classic Ellington tunes as perfomed by Oscar Peterson. I didn't realise when I purchased it that, the version of C-Jam Blues here is an exact transcription of the recording on the Night Train album. This alone makes the purchase worthwhile.

Naturally these transcriptions are very difficult and will require a lot of time and effort to get anywhere near the original recordings. Its worth pointing out, that most, if not all the recordings these transcriptions are based on, are available to buy. So at least you will be able to hear how they are supposed to be played, even if you never quite reach that standard!

Learn From the Master
Heralded as one of the greatest pianists to ever live by critics. This book is a good resource for those to see the genius of Peterson and how he composed and improvised. The licks and chord voicings are wonderful.

Excellent Transcriptions
This book is great for anyone who listens to an Oscar Peterson recording and wants to try it out. The transcriptions are fantastic-- great way to begin to understand how OP would perform a piece.Also gives you insight into how talented this man truly was.Perfect for the aspiring jazz pianist. ... Read more

Product Description
American composer, pianist and orchestra leader Duke Ellington was the first genuine jazz composer of truly international status. In this book Ken Rattenbury offers a thorough musical analysis of Ellington's works, assessing the extent to which Ellington drew on the black music traditions of blues and ragtime and the music of Tin Pan Alley, and examining how he integrated black folk music practices with elements of European art music. Rattenbury investigate's Ellington's methods of composition, focusing on works written, performed and recorded between 1939 and 1941, years that witnessed the full flowering of Ellington's genius. He also discusses the criteria Ellington used to select his musicians. After examining two early Ellington compositions for piano, he closely analyzes full scores of five significant pieces transcribed from their original recordings and including all extemporized solos and variations in performance. These transcriptions range from a duo for piano and double bass to compositions for Ellington's full orchestra.Rattenbury draws from Ellington's observations, and those of his orchestra, as well as from his own extensive musical knowledge, to provide new perspectives on Ellington's life and music, and the evolution of the jazz tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ellington for beginners
This excellent study of several Ellington's classical composition is very interesting for us who are not musical scholars but want to gain some insight in the mechanics behind Ellington's art. I suppose it will also serve as a great introduction to Ellington for musicologists who are not yet acquainted with his work.

Good and less good about this book
The good thing about this book is, that it tries to describe the style ofEllington through musical analysis documented through transcriptions innotes, and it shows how Ellington was influenced by blues, ragtime and TinPan Alley. We are though not told everything about Ellington as composer,as one might gather from the title. It is strange that the author doesn'tmention the tradition of categorization of the various styles of Ellington,nor do he explains, why he has ignored this tradition. The book must beunderstood as a contribution to the full investigation of Ellington ascomposer.

Jørgen Mathiasen, Musicologist and jazzhistorian, ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I knew the author...
After he finished writing this book he compared himself with "Grandma Moses"...a brillant songwriter...who knew all the great singers and all the great singers knew him...best bio on Duke and was a bestseller in England...BUT never got any book reviews for this bio in the U.S.A.

They will both be missed ... Duke and his songwriter DON GEORGE, the author of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
A giant collection of Ellington's best, all presented in the famous Real Book notation! Over 100 tunes, including: African Flower * Air Conditioned Jungle * All Too Soon * Black and Tan Fantasy * Bojangles * C-Jam Blues * Caravan * Come Sunday * Cotton Tail * Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me * Don't Get Around Much Anymore * Duke's Place * Hiawatha * I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) * I'm Just a Lucky So and So * In a Sentimental Mood * It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) * The Mooch * Mood Indigo * Prelude to a Kiss * Satin Doll * Sophisticated Lady * Take the "A" Train * What Am I Here For? * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
17 classic tunes in authentic Ellington style. New piano solo arrangements by Stephen Duro based on the original big band recordings, complete with chord symbols. Songs include: Caravan * In a Sentimental Mood * Prelude to a Kiss * Satin Doll * Take the "A" Train * and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Two dozen tunes in the Duke's own style. Includes: I'm Nobody's Baby
* I'll See You in My Dreams
* I Cried for You
* At Sundown
* You Are My Lucky Star. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Extremely poor "Boogie" arrangements
I wonder if Duke Ellington is turning in his grave over this terrible arrangements of his remarkable music....
I tried "Don't Get around much anymore" and found the Harmonies and "Boogie" arrangements very badly constructed and poorly matched ...
Don't waste your money on this book !

It's OK - really short compositions, but they are growing on me
I had wanted a Duke Ellington piano solo book for a long time. And the unfortunate part about buying jazz books is that they aren't available in local stores. There's no way to look inside of the book online, so I basically have to guess which ones are good.

So I guess you see where I'm going - I am not completely happy with it. All of the songs are 1 or 2 pages. After the basic composition, there is no improvisation on the melody. Plus, a lot of the songs are labeled "Boogie-Woogie", which is not my favorite style.

The plus side is that I did learn a cool trick. Now that I know that I don't like really short songs, I can use what is available on Amazon - page count and song count. Doing the math, this book has songs that are an average of 1.7 pages. A different book that I have enjoyed has 5.25 pages per song. So before buying a book, I can check that out.

The other good thing is that the songs have grown on me. The arrangements are by Duke Ellington himself, and not someone arranging his orchestra songs for piano solo. So I like playing what the genius himself arranged. Out of the book, there are a few gems. ... Read more

Product Description
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington
Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. He became a band leader and a composer of music. Mercer Ellington, his only son, attended the Julliard School of Music in New York City. Ellington was not the subject of an FBI investigation, but his name did appear in the files of other subjects. He died on May 24, 1974 in New York City.


... Read more

Product Description
Features 11 classics from jazz great Duke Ellington: Caravan * Don't Get Around Much Anymore * I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good * I'm Beginning to See the Light * In a Sentimental Mood * It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) * Mood Indigo * Satin Doll * Solitude * Sophisticated Lady * Take the "A" Train. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not a very well-done jazz book
I got this book in hopes that it would be more advanced...hoping there would be two tracks on the play-along CD. It is an advanced book, yes, but there's a vibraphone that plays the melody along throughout each tune entirely...with the exception of where you're suppose to improvise.But if you want it to sound impressive, the melody should not be playing along, but instead the accompaniment only.Although there are ways on older CD players to turn the volume down on the melody line only, but new ones don't have this option.

Play the Duke was awesome!
I ordered the book the duke to work on my saxophone skills and the item arrived on time just the way i expected. Id definitely give kudos to the seller. ... Read more

Product Description
Your favorite sheet music will come to life with the innovative Piano Play-Along series! With these book/CD collections, piano and keyboard players will be able to practice and perform with professional-sounding accompaniments. Containing eight cream-of-the-crop songs each, the books feature new engravings, with a separate vocal staff, plus guitar frames, so players and their friends can sing or strum along. The CDs feature two tracks for each tune: a full performance for listening, and a separate backing track that lets players take the lead on keyboard. The high-quality, sound-alike accompaniments exactly match the printed music. 8 songs, including: Come Sunday * Don't Get Around Much Anymore * I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart * I'm Beginning to See the Light * In a Mellow Tone * Satin Doll * Solitude * Take the "A" Train. ... Read more