Duke Ellington
1899-1974 · American (Washington, D.C./New York) · Jazz Age / 20th Century
Known for: The most important composer in American music who led his orchestra for 50 years
Ellington elevated jazz to an art form on par with classical music. He composed specifically for his musicians' individual sounds, treating his orchestra as a single instrument. Take the A Train, Mood Indigo, and thousands more span jazz, classical, and sacred music.
He was sophisticated, charming, and verbally dazzling. He was a workaholic who composed on buses and backstage. He refused the Pulitzer special citation because 'Fate is being kind to me.'
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