Duke Ellington, the man who gave American music its sound

There are two “Dukes” I revere: John Wayne, of course, and Duke Ellington. Since this is a column about jazz, let’s look at the legend that is the Duke of Jazz. Surely there aren’t too many people in the world who haven’t heard of him or heard his music. So why write a column about him, you ask? My answer is respect, acknowledgement, and education. We cannot allow ourselves to forget about the people who have added great music to our enjoyment in life.

His music gets to me on many levels: the excitement, the innovativeness, the style, and, of course, the pleasure of playing. In the Sun City Swing Band, “Let’s Dance!,” we have some of his best in our repertoire: great tunes like “Satin Doll,” “Mood Indigo,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing,” to name just a few.

I can’t begin to name all the songs and suites he wrote, nor the awards won, including 13 Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize. What I hope to accomplish with this column is to encourage you to listen to some of his famous and not-so-famous compositions while you learn about his rise to the top of the jazz world. This is the man who gave American music its own sound, playing over 20,000 performances around the world in his 50-year career. I suggest that you use Google to access his official website by just typing in his name. Once there, you will have choices including his biography and discography. There is a caveat here; you could easily spend an enormous number of hours listening to his music, which amounts to over 3,000 songs that he composed in his lifetime!

For you classical music buffs, go to YouTube and try out one of three suites written by Ellington: Duke Ellington Meets Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite.

So what could be better than listening to Duke’s music? How about having Ella Fitzgerald sing one of his songs alongside Oscar Peterson? I’ll end this week’s column with the suggestion that you go to YouTube and type in “Ella Fitzgerald sings ‘In a Mellow Tone’ with Oscar Peterson.” Now that’s a “triple play!”

That’s “all that jazz and more” for now. My next column will focus on another member of jazz royalty, the one and only Count Basie.

Before I close, I want to compliment Jane Tennant who continues to bring wonderfully talented individuals and acts for our entertainment in Sun City Huntley. If you were in the audience on September 5 to enjoy the husband and wife team of Judy Handler and Mark Levesque perform on guitar and mandolin, I’m sure you, too, were glad you came. This duo displayed a love for their music and instruments that was captivating and very easy to enjoy. Their technique was amazing, yet performed so effortlessly. Don’t miss them the next time they are in our locale. I encourage you to support the programs of the arts, as we are fortunate to have them so accessible. Check your Lifestyles Magazine for upcoming programs and activities.

Finally, Phil Ciancio, the fine saxophonist with both the Blue Skies Trio and “Let’s Dance!” can be seen and heard at various venues doing his solo act. You can access his schedule on his website – www.movingyoumusically.com

Please send your comments to me at greengeezer9@comcast.net. I’d love to hear from you with your comments and suggestions for future columns.

---

---