Few American artists in any medium have enjoyed the
international and lasting cultural impact of Duke Ellington. From jazz
standards such as “Mood Indigo” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” to
his longer, more orchestral suites, to his leadership of the stellar big
band he toured and performed with for decades after most big bands
folded, Ellington represented a singular, pathbreaking force in music
over the course of a half-century. At the same time, as one of the most
prominent black public figures in history, Ellington demonstrated
leadership on questions of civil rights, equality, and America’s role in
the world.
With Duke Ellington’s America,
Harvey G. Cohen paints a vivid picture of Ellington’s life and times,
taking him from his youth in the black middle class enclave of
Washington, D.C., to the heights of worldwide acclaim. Mining extensive
archives, many never before available, plus new interviews with
Ellington’s friends, family, band members, and business associates,
Cohen illuminates his constantly evolving approach to composition,
performance, and the music business—as well as issues of race, equality
and religion. Ellington’s own voice, meanwhile, animates the book
throughout, giving Duke Ellington’s America an intimacy and immediacy unmatched by any previous account.
By far the most thorough and nuanced portrait yet of this towering figure, Duke Ellington’s America highlights Ellington’s importance as a figure in American history as well as in American music.
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