Duke Ellington short biography. Duke Ellington: biography, best compositions, interesting facts, listen Famous musical composition by Duke Ellington

Have you ever heard Duke Ellington? I might as well ask you if you have heard Chopin. But the old Duke is really compared with. Who is this black classic of the twentieth century?

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When you see the release date of his first album, it is difficult to imagine that this is even possible, and when you hear these, albeit weak, wheezing and floating sounds of an old recording, you are surprised at the purity, pressure and beauty of the sound of his orchestra.

Let's just say: now it can be called a classic. He played so many songs that it seems impossible to play even more. And then he was a Jazzman! Yes, yes, with a capital letter!

He got his nickname back in school... oh yes, “Duke” is not a name. This is a nickname. He was nicknamed “Duke” either because of some excessive self-confidence and foppishness, or because of his love for dandy outfits. It was there at school that he wrote his first composition. As a result, three... no, not recording studios, but three girls at once became interested in him. For him, this was a completely life-affirming result, and he decided to become a jazz pianist.

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No, life was so bad for a black boy who was born in 1899. His father was a butler and served for a time in the White House. His name was James Edward, after the child's father they named Edward Kennedy Ellington. He grew up in prosperity, peace and stability, which few of his peers had access to.

Duke played far more than just jazz. He achieved a lot in composing music for worship, and there was a reason for this: his mother was a deeply religious woman, played the piano well and instilled in her tenderly loving child also a love of both music and religion.

It seems a little strange now, but the man who recorded more music albums than anyone else on the planet in his youth wanted to be not a musician, but an artist.

Once at school, he even won a competition for the best poster in the city of Washington. And who knows how the history of modern music would have developed if, over time, his love for colors had not begun to cool.

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All this time he continued to study music and studied music theory, and therefore in 1917 he finally set out to become a professional musician. Around the same year, he began to informally study with famous Washington musicians and began leading some ensembles.

In the early twenties he founded his first jazz orchestra, which was called the Washingtonians. If we keep in mind that he himself was then a little over twenty, then the result is quite impressive! Especially considering that after some time they agreed to be accepted into the Cotton Club, where they began to play.

That's just... Is that really how he founded it? There is a version that he was originally part of the Washingtonians quintet, but it was not immediately that he began to occupy a leadership position in it.

Of course, it would not be an exaggeration to say that if there had been no Duke Ellington in jazz music of the 20th century, its fate could have been completely different. His strong-willed character and unshakable belief in his own exclusivity were so strong that they elevated Ellington to the very top, from where he looked down on other performers. Possessing tenacity, desperate determination and a complex character, he did not recognize authorities, and this is what allowed him to rise above everyone and leave behind a huge layer of jazz music, in demand and still performed all over the world. Ellington's extraordinary charisma and subtle sense of style did their job - there is no more revered jazz musician. And this is quite natural, because this is exactly what he strived for all his life - to become a world celebrity, a person whom the whole world worships.

short biography

Oddly enough, “Duke” is not the musician’s native name. The family into which the boy was born on January 5, 1897 named him Edward Kennedy Ellington. It was with this name that he lived throughout his childhood and youth, feeling his superiority over those around him. Considering himself an outstanding personality, the little boy called himself a noble duke (noble title), and this nickname firmly stuck to him for the rest of his life. So strong that it actually became his real name.

Ellington's childhood passed in an atmosphere of universal love and prosperity. Father - James Edward, spared no effort to earn as much money as possible, which he spent with incredible ease. Mother, Daisy Kennedy, never needed for anything, so it is quite natural that Duke Ellington’s childhood was more prosperous than that of many “colored” people of that time. It was Daisy Kennedy who inspired the boy that he would become a world celebrity, and it was thanks to this suggestion that he succeeded.

At the age of seven, Duke began to be taught music and playing the piano, in which he showed absolutely no interest, studying exactly as much as they asked. However, these classes contributed to the fact that when Ellington finally became interested in music and chose this particular musical instrument.

At the age of 14, he began to really get involved in music and achieved some success. Lacking virtuoso technique and sufficient education, Duke Ellington nevertheless became a regular in the bars where he had considerable success as a performer.

Duke never showed interest in studying, so he was never able to receive a normal education. While studying at Armstrong Technical High School, Duke quit his classes and began to live for his own pleasure.

At the age of 17, he began visiting the House of True Reformers, where a small ensemble gathered. Soon the young man became a regular participant and at the same time gradually learned some of the basics of the theory. It was with this team that in 1922 Ellington set off to conquer New York.

Thanks to clarinetist Will Sweatman, the entire ensemble already in 1923 worked at the most prestigious institution in New York - the Lafayette Theater. Unfortunately, they failed to gain a foothold in the city, so the team had to return to their native Washington with nothing.

Deciding to continue what they started, the ensemble takes the sonorous name “Washington Black Sox Orchestra” and soon they manage to find work in Atlantic City. Soon, thanks to their acquaintance with singer Ada Smith, the ensemble moved to New York again, this time to the Barrons Exclusive Club, a place of concentration of the black elite. After some time, they get a job at the Hollywood Inn, and Duke Ellington becomes the leader of the ensemble, who begins to work on changing the composition and style of the music performed. Looking for performers primarily from New Orleans, he followed the influence of the times, since people who played in a hot style style were in vogue. At the same time, he tried to compose music, meeting Joe Trent, a well-connected poet and composer. On February 22, 1924, Ellington became the official leader of the Washingtonians ensemble.

Unfortunately, all outstanding black musical groups and individual performers of that time were under the patronage of gangsters. So Ellington had to think about how to get out of this bondage. It couldn’t have come at a better time when he met Irving Mills, a very energetic publisher who saw a future celebrity in Duke. He became a powerful patron for Ellington, and he eventually made him a star known throughout the world. Without his help, the Washingtonians would have been content with performing in nightclubs and doing odd jobs. It was thanks to Mills that Ellington began to compose his own compositions in much larger numbers, which played an important role in the band’s fame. By 1927, the group began to be called “Duke Ellington and His Orchestra” - now all decisions were made only by Ellington, and the members had no voting rights. But not one of them left the orchestra, and this fact alone speaks of Duke’s great skill as a leader.

Soon the orchestra's performances moved to the Cotton Club, the most popular nightclub in Harlem.

In 1929, Ellington's orchestra became very famous, his name often appeared in newspapers, and the musical level of the group was rated very highly. Since 1931, the orchestra began touring, traveling and giving concerts throughout Europe. Duke begins to write his own works and gains recognition, including as a composer.

In 1950, an irreparable thing happened for Ellington - due to the fact that jazz was gradually falling into oblivion, his orchestra turned out to be of no use to anyone, and talented musicians began to leave it. But after 6 years everything changed - a renewed interest in jazz allowed Duke to regain its former glory. New contracts, tours and concert recordings bring Ellington worldwide fame.

Over the following years, Elington performed with his orchestra around the globe, giving performances in Japan, Great Britain, Ethiopia, the USA, the Soviet Union and many other countries.

Ellingon lived to be 75 years old, remaining faithful to music until the very last moment, considering it the only thing worthy of love. He died in 1974 from lung cancer, and this death was a tragedy for the whole world.

Interesting Facts

• The first teacher who taught Duke music was Marietta Clinkscales, who lived in a neighboring house (clink - clinking glasses, scale - musical scale).
• Duke hated formal education. Therefore, I always refused offers to graduate from any music school.

• Often he chose soloists for specific works solely because of their inherent manner of performance.
• Ellington's first musical mentor was pianist Willie "Lion" Smith. From him Duke adopted some of the characteristic features of his performance.
• Touring all over the world, he considered New York his home - the place where he first felt part of an elite society.
• His wife was Edna Thompson, a neighbor girl whom he met in school. Having married in 1918, a year later they celebrated the birth of their son, whom they named Mercer.
• The playing style of Ellington's ensemble "The Washingtonians" was largely shaped by the influence of trumpeter Bubber Miley - it was he who became a source of new ideas for Duke, producing magnificent musical phrases and turns.
• Duke simply adored power and his position as a leader. The musicians who worked with him noted that he always remained in control, no matter what happened around him.

• Freddy Guy - performer banjo – played with Ellington for 24 years. He was the only one of the participants whom Duke allowed to visit him.
• Duke rarely praised his musicians.
• Thanks to clarinetist Sidney Bechet, Ellington's ensemble was able to master the New Orleans jazz style, which contributed to the rapid success of this group.
• Ellington was an excellent driver, but preferred to use the driving services of his musician, Harry Carney.
• Duke's impresario, Irving Mills, profited ungodly from Ellington, receiving money not only for publishing, but also for copyrights. Every piece Duke composed was contractually owned by Mills.
• At one time his manager was Joe Glaser, a man with criminal connections who worked with such stars as Louis Armstrong And Billie Holliday .
• He won 11 times and was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Music.

• Ellington wrote his only book, an autobiography, Music is My Beloved. For it he received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize.
• The famous trombonist and composer Juan Tizol worked for 15 years in the Duke Ellington orchestra. Possessing vast musical experience, he often conducted orchestra rehearsals instead of Duke.
• Many of Duke's musicians came from poor families, spoke slang, and did not shy away from alcohol and drugs. But because of their performance skills and Ellington's generosity, they worked in his orchestra for many years.
• In his last days, Ellington held on only thanks to injections, continuing to continuously work on music.

Best compositions

"Take The "A" Train"- a wonderful melody with an easily recognizable imitation of a train at the very beginning of the brass instruments immediately fell in love with the audience and became one of the things in the repertoire of every jazz band.

"Take The "A" Train" (listen)

"Satin Doll"– the leisurely theme of the saxophones, interrupted by inserts of brass, and then a sudden “tutti”, leaves the impression of some kind of understatement. A truly unusual jazz composition.

"Satin Doll" (listen)

"C-Jam Blues"– the title itself already contains the essence of the work – these are simple chants and sequences around the note “C”, performed by various instruments.

"C-Jam Blues" (listen)

"Caravan"- the most famous composition written in 1936.

"Caravan" (listen)

As happens quite often, people who have not been associated with religion all their lives become ardent adherents of the faith in adulthood. The same thing happened with Duke. Of course, as a child he attended church quite often, and his mother loved to talk with him about God. But until early 1950 there was not the slightest hint that Ellington was interested in religion. No matter how strange it may sound, in the mid-50s, Duke declared that he was “God’s messenger” and was simply obliged to devote the rest of his life to serving the Lord. According to numerous testimonies of his friends, he actually began to sit with the Bible until late at night.

For that time, a special understanding of faith in God was adopted - a person had to be all-forgiving, kind and not remember the evil done to him by other people. This is exactly what Ellington became. In some of his works he promoted these ideas, for example in the composition "Black, Brown and Beige". But there was no systematic order until 1965, when he was offered what he dreamed of. He received a large order for sacred music from a priest from San Francisco, rector of the Cathedral of Our Lord's Grace. The church had just opened, and it needed an advertising campaign, and a concert by such a star as Duke, and even with specially composed works, was supposed to create a sensation.

Taking up the work, he composed his First Brass Concerto, performed in church in 1965. The plays included in it are written in various styles: jazz, choral music and vocal arias. Despite some awkwardness of the numbers, the concert was, on the whole, a success and inspired Ellington to write the next cycle.

In 1968, the premiere of the Second Spiritual Concert took place. Unfortunately, due to the enormous length (as much as 80 minutes), boring drawn-out works and primitive music, the concert was a failure. In addition, Ellington, acting as a poet and libretto writer, turned out to be a rather poor writer. All the texts of the concert are extremely banal and are replete with inappropriate jokes and witticisms.

The third brass concerto was performed in 1973. Ellington was asked to host the premiere at Westminster Abbey and he immediately agreed. This speech was timed to coincide with United Nations Day. All the works of the concert are permeated with themes of love, and the music in it is of much better quality than before.

Films with Duke Ellington and his music

Like any self-respecting jazz musician, Ellington has appeared in many films, shows and TV series. This was a mandatory condition of that time, otherwise it was simply impossible to remain at the zenith of fame. In addition, he wrote 7 complete soundtracks for films, and in 1952 he even tried himself as one of the directors in the TV series “Today”.

• "Check and Double Check" (1930)
• "Advice to the Lovelorn" (1933)
• "Murder at the Vanities" (1934)
• "Air Force" (1943)
• "The Mouse Comes to Dinner" (1945)
• "This Could Be the Night" (1957)
• "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959)
• "Paris Blues" (1961)
• "Change of Consciousness" (1969)
• "Teresa la ladra" (1973)
• "Reborn" (1981)
• "Envoyez les violons" (1988)
• "Minority Report" (2002)
• "Nature Photographs" (2016)
• "Darker Than You Think" (2017)

Despite his obvious contribution to world art, Ellington's legacy is highly controversial. Along with brilliant things that come from the depths of the soul, one can find works from him that are very superficial both in terms of music and in terms of text. And some, such as Spiritual concerts or large author's suites, are usually completely ignored by music critics, as if they do not exist.

The thing is that Duke rarely listened to anyone's advice. He always did what his heart told him to do - and he produced amazing music that made him a jazz master of the first magnitude. But sometimes another part of him came into play, which wanted to compete with the classical musicians of Europe, recognized by the world. Then things came out from his pen in which he did not invest himself. You can’t call them copied, but you don’t feel Ellington’s inner world in them either.

Where the composer's skill truly showed itself was in the dozens, if not hundreds, of short jazz works. Here he fully revealed his creative potential and it was for these compositions that he became a recognized music legend, a person without whom modern jazz would look completely different.

Ellington received enormous help from his musicians. Many ideas, melodies, and sometimes entire works were born in the minds of its performers. And Duke masterfully created outstanding works based on them, full of jazz fire and inner strength. The very works for which we love him.

Video: listen to Duke Ellington

Edward Ellington was born in 1899, in Washington, into a respectable African-American family. He had a very affectionate relationship with his mother, who instilled in the boy a sense of confidence and self-esteem, as well as religiosity. At school, for his self-confidence and a certain foppishness, he was given the nickname “Duke” (Duke). While still at school, he wrote his first composition, and this attracted the attention of 3 girls at once. ...

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In the early 20s, he organized his own orchestra “Washingtonians” (Washingtonians). After several years of struggle, luck smiled on him - their team was taken to play “Cotton Club”. He was extremely popular in England, where he was even accepted by the Royal Family. After this meeting he wrote the Queen Suite, which he wrote down in one copy and sent to Elizabeth II.

Duke Elligton wrote not only jazz music, but also spiritual music (Sacred Concerts). His piano compositions are on a par with the works of Debussy, Chopin and Ravel. In terms of the total number of works ever performed, he is the absolute leader in the world. In 1971, Duke came to Moscow and even tried to accompany Alexei Kozlov on the balalaika.

Duke Ellington died in 1974 from lung cancer.

Edward Kennedy was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, USA. Unlike many of his black compatriots, he had a completely happy childhood. His father James Edward was a butler and briefly served in the White House. Later he worked as a copyist in the Navy. Mother was deeply religious and played the piano well. Therefore, religion and music played a big role in his upbringing.

The boy was surrounded by prosperity, peace and parental love. His mother gave him piano lessons. From the age of seven, Ellington studied with a music teacher, and from about 11 years old he composed music on his own. Then comes a passion for ragtime and dance music. Ellington wrote his first ragtime composition, “Soda Fountain Rag,” in 1914.

Despite his musical success, Ellington is studying at a specialized school for applied sciences and plans to become a professional artist. Wins the competition for the best advertising poster in the city of Washington. Works as a poster artist.

However, he does not forget music, improves his technique of playing the piano, and studies the theory of harmony. The pleasure of drawing and working with paints wears off. Refuses an offer of a position at the Pratt Institute for Applied Arts.

Ultimately, in 1917, he decides to become a professional musician. Undergoes informal training with renowned Washington musicians. Leads local ensembles.

In 1919, Duke met Sonny Greer, drummer of the first Ellington band.

In 1922, Ellington, Greer, and Hardwick made their first trip to New York for a short engagement. In New York, Ellington takes informal lessons from renowned piano masters James P. Johnson and Willie Lyon Smith.

At the age of 23, Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington began playing in the Washingtonians quintet, over which he gradually took control. The ensemble consisted of his friends - drummer Sonny Greer, saxophonist Otto Hardwick, trumpeter Arthur Whetsall.

Because of his love for smart clothes, Ellington received the nickname “Duke” from his friends.

In the fall of 1923, Ellington's ensemble went to New York, received an engagement at Barron's club in Harlem, and then to Time Square at the Hollywood Club.

In 1926, Ellington met Irving Mills, who became Ellington's manager for an extended period.

Under pressure from Mills, Ellington officially became the leader of a ten-piece jazz ensemble in 1927, under the new brand "Duke Ellington and His Orchestra". The new band's first significant success was regular performances at the prestigious New York jazz club Cotton Club. Duke’s famous compositions “Creole Love Call” and “Black & Tan Fantasy”, “The Mooche” and others appear.

In 1929, the orchestra performed in the Florenz Ziegfeld revue. Regular radio broadcasts of the orchestra's programs from the Cotton Club make Ellington and his orchestra famous. In February 1931, the Ellington Orchestra opened its first concert tour. That same year, an instrumental version of one of his standards, "Mood Indigo", published by the Victor label, became very popular.

The composer aims for more complex musical subjects. Working on "Creole Rhapsody". In 1931-33, his plays “Limehouse Blues” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing” with vocals by Ivy Anderson became popular. Three years before the official start of the swing era, Duke Ellington had already, in fact, laid the foundation for a new style. Important milestones along the way were the 1933 themes “Sophisticated Lady” and “Stormy Weather.”

The first compositions of the Duke Ellington Orchestra are associated with the “jungle style”, as well as with the “mood style”. In them, Ellington uses the individual capabilities of the musicians: trumpeters Charlie Ervis, Bubber Miley, Tricky Sam Nanton, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, baritone saxophonist Harry Carney. The skill of these performers gives the orchestra a special “sound”.

Tours in Europe bring great success. The orchestra performs at the London Palladium, and Duke meets with the Prince of Wales, Duke of Kent. Then performances in South America and a tour of the USA. The repertoire consists mainly of compositions by Ellington.

At that moment, the orchestra is played by saxophonists Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney, trumpeters Cootie Williams, Frank Jenkins, Arthur Whetsall, trombonists Tricky Sam Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown. Ellington has been called the first truly American composer, and his swing standard “Caravan,” co-written with trombonist Juan Tizol, has traveled the world.

The composition Reminiscing in Tempo, written in 1935, unlike most of the author’s other melodies, did not have a dance rhythm. The reason was that Ellington wrote this song after the loss of his mother and a long period of stagnation in his creativity. As the composer himself later said, while writing this melody, the sheets of his music notebook were wet with tears. Reminiscing in Tempo was played by Duke with virtually no improvisation. According to the musician, his main desire was to leave everything in this song as he originally wrote.

In 1938, he amazed the audience with a joint performance with musicians of the Philharmonic Orchestra at the St. Regis Hotel in New York.

At the end of 1930, new musicians joined the orchestra - double bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. Their influence on Ellington's "sound" was so fundamental that their relatively short tenure earned them the name Blanton-Webster Band among jazz fans. With this lineup, Ellington makes his second European tour.

The orchestra's updated "sound" was captured in the 1941 composition "Take the "A" Train." Among the composer's works of this period, instrumental works “Diminuendo in Blue” and “Crescendo in Blue” occupy an important place.

The skill of the composer and musician is recognized not only by critics, but also by such outstanding academic musicians as Igor Stravinsky and Leopold Stokowski.

During the Second World War, Ellington created a number of large instrumental pieces. On January 23, 1943, he gave a concert of his works at the famous Carnegie Hall, where the premiere of “Black, Brown and Beige” took place. All funds raised from the concert go to help the Red Army.

After the end of the war, despite the decline of the big band era, Ellington continued to tour with his new concert program. Collections from performances, which began to gradually fall, he supplements with fees that he receives as a composer. This allows you to save the orchestra.

The beginning of 1950 was the most dramatic period in the life of the Ellington band. Feeling a decline in interest in jazz, key musicians leave the orchestra one after another. For several years, Duke Ellington went into the shadows.

However, already in the summer of 1956 there was a triumphant return to the big stage at the Russian Jazz Festival. in Newport. One of the festival's highlights is tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves' 27-square solo in an updated version of "Dimuendo and Crescendo in Blue." The composer comes into focus again, his photo graces the cover of Time magazine, and he signs a new contract with Columbia Records. The first release - the concert "Ellington at Newport" - became the most successful and best-selling album in the musician's career.

In subsequent years, in collaboration with Billy Strayhorn, Duke wrote a number of works on classical themes. Such Sweet Thunder, a 1957 Shakespearean suite, features “Lady Mac,” “Madness in Great Ones,” about Hamlet, and “Half the Fun,” about Antony and Cleopatra. The uniqueness of the recording is that the orchestra soloists, like actors in a theater, performed the leading roles and carried out entire numbers. Together with Strayhorn, he wrote variations on themes from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and Grieg’s “Peer Gynt.”

Duke Ellington is once again becoming a sought-after concert performer. His tour routes expanded, and in the fall of 1958 the artist again traveled around Europe on a concert tour. Duke is presented to Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret at an arts festival in England.

In 1961 and 1962, Ellington recorded with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane and other outstanding jazz masters.

In 1963, the Ellington Orchestra made a new trip to Europe and then to the Middle and Far East at the request of the US State Department.

Since the mid-1960s, the composer has walked away from the Grammy Awards as a winner 11 times.

In 1965, he received the award in the category “Best Large Jazz Ensemble” for the album “Ellington “66”. The track “In the Beginning, God” was awarded in 1966 as the best jazz composition. The band performs at the White House, in the Virgin Islands and again in Europe. Performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In September he begins a series of sacred music concerts. The artist will regularly hold these concerts under the vaults of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

In 1966 and 1967, Ellington conducted two series of European concerts with Ella Fitzgerald.

With his team he goes on a long tour of the Middle and Far East. This tour coincided with the release of the album “Far East Suite”, which brought its author a victory in the category “best large jazz ensemble”.

With the same wording, Ellington took away the Grammy from the 1968 ceremony for the album “And His Mother Called Him Bill.” The composer dedicated this album to his colleague and close friend Billy Strayhorn, who died in 1967.

A reception at the White House in 1969 to celebrate Duke's 70th birthday. Presentation of the Order of Liberty by President Richard Nixon. New European tour. In Paris, in honor of Duke Ellington's seventieth birthday, a banquet was held at which he was greeted by Maurice Chevalier.

Performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival with new compositions “River”, “New Orleans Suite” and “The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse”. Visiting Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East.

In 1971, on April 16, the premiere of the composition “Suite For Gutela” took place at New York’s Lincoln Center. Performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Visits the USSR with concerts. In Leningrad he plays in front of the future founder of the State Jazz Philharmonic, David Semenovich Goloshchekin. And then he goes to Europe and makes a second tour to South America and Mexico.

The orchestra that Ellington took with him to the Soviet Union in 1971 consisted of six saxophones: Russell Prokop, Paul Gonzalves, Harold Ashby, Norris Turney, Harold Geese Minerv and Harry Carney. Trumpets: Cootie Williams, Mercer Ellington, Harold Money Johnson, Eddie Preston and Johnny Coles. Trombones: Malcolm Taylor, Mitchell Booty Wood and Chuck Connors. The bassist was Joe Benjamin, the drums were Rufus Speedy Jones, and the two vocalists were Nell Brookshire and Tony Watkins.

When the plane carrying Duke landed in Leningrad, he was greeted by a large orchestra marching across the airfield and playing Dixieland music. Everywhere he performed with his band, tickets were completely sold out. There were ten thousand people at each of Ellington's three concerts in Kyiv and more than twelve thousand at each of his performances in Moscow. During his visit to the USSR, Ellington visited the Bolshoi Theater, the Hermitage and met with composer Aram Khachaturian. Ellington conducted the Moscow Radio Jazz Orchestra. The newspaper Pravda was very generous in its praise of Ellington and his orchestra. A music critic writing for the newspaper was struck by “their priceless sense of lightness. They came on stage without any special ceremony, just one after another, like friends usually gather for a jam session."

In 1973, the third “Concert of Sacred Music” took place, premiering at Westminster Abbey, London. European tour. Duke Ellington takes part in the Royal Concert at the Palladium. Visit to Zambia and Ethiopia. Awarded the Imperial Star in Ethiopia and the Legion of Honor in France.

Until the last months of his life, Duke Ellington traveled and gave concerts a lot. His performances, filled with inspired improvisations, attracted not only numerous listeners, but also received high praise from professionals.

The “New Orleans Suite” disc, published based on materials from concerts in New Orleans, again deserves a Grammy Award in the “Best Large Jazz Ensemble” category.

Three more times the musician finds himself out of competition in this category: in 1972 for the record “Toga Brava Suite”, in 1976 for “Ellington Suites”, in 1979 for “Duke Ellington At Fargo, 1940 Live”.

In 1973, doctors diagnosed him with lung cancer. In early 1974, Duke Ellington fell ill with pneumonia.