Edward Duke Ellington was born April 29, 1899. He was born in Washington , D.C. His mother was Daisy Kennedy Ellington, his father was James Edward Ellington, his wife was Edna Thompson , and his son was Mercer Ellington. He led his orchestra until his death, his career spanning over 50 years. Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward , and gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club. Though widely considered to have been an important figure in the history of jazz, but it was Ellington who combined them into the best-known orchestral unit in the history of jazz. Ellington originated over a thousand compositions and his extensive work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with …show more content…
Music was his total life and commitment. In twentieth century music, he may yet one day be recognized as one of the half-dozen greatest masters of our time. Ellington signed exclusively to Brunswick in 1932 and stayed with them through late 1936 albeit with a short-lived 1933-34 switch to Victor when Irving Mills temporarily moved him and his other acts from Brunswick. As the depression worsened, the recording industry was in crisis, dropping over 90% of its artists by 1933. Radio exposure helped maintain popularity as Ellington and his orchestra began to tour. The other records of this era include:’’ mood indigo’’ (1930), “Sophisticated Lady” (1933), “Solitude” (1934), and “ In a sentimental mood” (1935). The Ellington orchestra had a huge following overseas, demonstrated by the success of their trip to England in 1933 and their 1934 visit to the European mainland. The English visit saw Ellington win praise from members of the “serious” music community. He had composed and recorded Creole Rhapsody as early as 1931. On the band’s tour through the segregated South in 1934, they avoided some of the traveling difficulties of African-Americans by touring in private railcars. These provided easy accommodations, dining and storing for equipment while avoiding the treatment of segregated