ENDEIT
Duke Ellington
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pianists · 1899–1974

Duke Ellington

American jazz pianist and composer (1899–1974)

Born
29 April 1899
Washington, D.C.
Died
24 May 1974
New York City
Country
United States
Active
1922–1974
Record labels
Columbia Records, Decca, Philips Records
Discography
89 albums

Biography

Duke Ellington was a jazz musician who played piano. Duke Ellington was born on 29 April 1899 in Washington, D.C. and died on 24 May 1974 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz, swing and gospel music. Record labels: Columbia Records, Decca and Philips Records. The discography here lists 89 albums, from “The Duke” (1940) to “Copenhagen 1958 (bonus: After Hours 1950)” (2024). Honours include German Film Award for best original music (1957), Spingarn Medal (1959) and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1966).

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Music critic Ralph J. Gleason called him "America's most important composer". Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become standards. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

The Duke 1940 · Columbia One Night Stand 1945 · Armed Forces Radio Service Black Brown and Beige: A Duke Ellington Tone Parallel to the American Negro 1946 · Victor Piano Reflections 1953 · Capitol Jazz The Duke Plays Ellington 1954 · Capitol Records At Newport 1956 · Columbia Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues 1959 · Verve Side by Side 1959 · Verve Blues in Orbit 1960 · Columbia Dance Air Force Date 1960 1960 · Unique Jazz First Time! The Count Meets the Duke 1961 · Philips Piano in the Foreground 1961 · Columbia
Jazz Concert 1962 · Live
Money Jungle 1962 · United Artists Jazz Duke Ellington & John Coltrane 1963 · impulse! Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins 1963 · impulse! The Early Duke Ellington 1963 · Archive of Folk Music Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw and Their Orchestras 1965 · Society Concert of Sacred Music 1966 · RCA The Duke At Tanglewood 1966 · RCA Victor Red Seal The Far East Suite 1967 · RCA Victor New Orleans Suite 1971 · Atlantic Duke's Big 4 1974 · Pablo This One's for Blanton! 1975 · Pablo Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session 1976 · Atlantic Unknown Session 1979 · Columbia It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing 1982 · Flying Dutchman The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite 1982 · Columbia Ellington: Suite from The River / Mayuzumi: Essay for String Orchestra 1983 · First Edition
Jump For Joy 1985
Music by Ellington & Bartók 1986 · EMI Digital Ties & Tails 1986 · Pro-Arte Records
All Star Road Band - Volume 2 1988
Echoes of Harlem 1988 · Intersound The Feeling of Jazz 1988 · Black Lion Records Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year 1989 · CBS Four Symphonic Works by Duke Ellington 1989 · MusicMasters
New Mood Indigo 1989
Orchestral Works 1989 · MCA Records Piano Reflections 1989 · Capitol Jazz Take the Holiday Train 1990 · Special Music Company Happy Reunion 1991 · Sony Music Special Products Up In Duke's Workshop 1991 · Pablo Records, Inc. My People 1992 · Red Baron The Intimate Ellington 1992 · Original Jazz Classics Jazz Tribune No.69: Indispensable 1993 · RCA One O'Clock Jump 1996 · ONN A Tone Parallel to Harlem 1999 · Milan
Duke Ellington In Sweden 1973 (Highlights From The Swedish Radio Jazz Archives) 1999 · Live
Reflections on Duke 1999 · Decca Classics Classic Ellington 2000 · EMI Classics Swingin' With The Duke 2000 · Varèse Sarabande Caravan 2001 · Edizioni del Prado Collages 2001 · folio Ellington: Suite from "The River" / Harlem / Solitude / Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony 2001 · Chandos I Grandi Del Jazz - Duke Ellington 2002 · RCS Quotidiani S.p.A. Jazz Caravan 2002 Love You Madly 2002 · Collectables The Blues I Love To Sing 2003 · Dynamic Classic Recordings, Vol. 5 (1938): Braggin' in Brass 2004 · Naxos Jazz Moods - Hot 2004 · Columbia
Live at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall 2005 · Live
Rockin' in Rhythm 2005 · Rolled Gold The Piano Player 2005 · Storyville Records West Coast Swing 2006 · Just Jazz Columbia Jazz Profiles 2008 · Sony BMG Music Entertainment Blue Note Jazz Inspiration 2012 · Blue Note Duke Ellington's My People - The Complete Show 2012 · Storyville Records Battle Of Swing, Vol. 3 2013 · Supreme Media Battle of Swing, Vol. 1 2013 · Top Tracks Battle of Swing, Vol. 2 2013 · Supreme Media Black, Brown, and Beige 2013 · Naxos In Gröna Lund 1963 2014 The Duke: Historically Speaking 2014 · Bethlehem High Fidelity
Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts 2016
An Intimate Piano Session 2017 · Storyville Records Blues In Orbit + The Cosmic Scene 2017 · Essential Jazz Classics Take the A Train 2017 · 2xHD Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn 2018 · TP4 Music Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn 2018 Piano Duets: Great Times! 2018 · Original Jazz Classics Piano Duets: Great Times! 2018 · Original Jazz Classics In My Solitude: Solo Piano and Small Group Performances 2021 · MusicMasters In My Solitude: Solo Piano and Small Group Performances 2021 · MusicMasters Ellington In Order, Volume 4 (1932) 2023 · Legacy Copenhagen 1958 (bonus: After Hours 1950) 2024 Duke Ellington Meets Leonard Feather · Sutton Lullaby of Birdland · Intermedia Records
Timon of Athens

Also plays on

Albums where Duke Ellington is credited as a sideman

1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book — Ella Fitzgerald piano
1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2 — Ella Fitzgerald piano
1961 Recording Together for the First Time — Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington piano
1963 The Great Reunion — Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington piano
1966 Ella at Duke’s Place — Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington piano
1967 Francis A. & Edward K. — Frank Sinatra with Duke Ellington piano
2002 It’s Easy to Remember — Bing Crosby conductor, piano
2023 Ella Sings the Blues — Ella Fitzgerald piano

Standards written by Duke Ellington

TitleKeyFormGroove
Caravan F minor AAB · 48 Latin
Solitude E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Sophisticated Lady A♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
In a Sentimental Mood D minor AABA · 32 Ballad
Mood Indigo A♭ major AB · 32 Ballad
Don't Get Around Much Anymore C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Prelude To A Kiss C major AABA · 32 Ballad
I Got It Bad G major AABA · 32 Ballad
It Don't Mean A Thing B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Cotton Tail B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Things Ain't What They Used To Be D♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
In A Mellow Tone (In A Mellotone) A♭ major ABAC · 32 Medium swing
Come Sunday B♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Creole Love Call B♭ major AABB · 46 Medium swing
All Too Soon C major AABA · 32 Ballad
C-Jam Blues C major A · 12 Medium swing
Just Squeeze Me F major AABA · 32 Medium swing
I Didn't Know About You F major AABA · 32 Ballad
I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So G major AABA · 32 Medium swing
African Flower E♭ minor AABC · 40 Latin
Warm Valley B♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me B♭ major AB · 32 Medium swing
Maybe I Should Change My Ways B♭ major AA · 32 Ballad
Heaven B♭ major AABC · 32 Ballad

Studied with

Willie "The Lion" Smith 1893–1973 · American musician (1897–1973)

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • FOUR AND ONE-HALF STREET BARNEY BIGARD AND HIS JAZZOPATERS · Rex Stewart · Duke Ellington archive.org ↗
  • Saturday Night Function Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra · Ellington · Bigard archive.org ↗
  • WHO SAID, "IT'S TIGHT LIKE THAT" DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA · Cootie Williams · Fred Jenkins ·… archive.org ↗
  • TOASTED PICKLE DUKE ELLINGTON'S SEPTET · Cootie Williams · Barney Bigard · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • High Life Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra · Ellington archive.org ↗
  • REXATIOUS REX STEWARTS ELLINGTONIANS · Rex Stewart · Lawrence Brown · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • Dallas Doings Duke Ellington and His Orchestra · D. Ellington archive.org ↗
  • THEM THERE EYES DUKE ELLINGTON and His ORCH. · Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams… archive.org ↗

Books about Duke Ellington

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Duke Ellington play?

Duke Ellington is known for playing piano.

When and where was Duke Ellington born?

Duke Ellington was born 29 April 1899 in Washington, D.C..

What are Duke Ellington's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include The Duke (1940), One Night Stand (1945), Black Brown and Beige: A Duke Ellington Tone Parallel to the American Negro (1946), Piano Reflections (1953) and The Duke Plays Ellington (1954).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.