Duke Ellington, Part 2

He may be the greatest jazz composer of all time. Certainly, the most prolific. He is also recognized as a “father” of Big Band jazz. As keyboardist – rooted in stride piano – he could propel his orchestra to new heights. And, wow, could they swing. On part 1, we focused on Ellington’s formative years up until the mid-1930s. Here on part 2, we look at the evolution of Ellington’s music from the mid-30s until his death in May of 1974 at the age of 75. As part of the Peabody Award-winnin...