Ellington, ‘Duke’

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Ellington, ‘Duke’ ( Edward Kennedy) (1899–1974) US jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader. His early pieces, performed (1927–32) at the Cotton Club, New York, include “Black and Tan Fantasy” (1927) and “Mood Indigo” (1930). The ‘jungle’ style gave way to the elegance of the Blanton-Webster years (1939–42), and standards such as “Take the A Train” and “Got It Bad”. Black, Brown and Beige (1943) was written for a concert at Carneige Hall, New York.

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