Happy Birthday Duke Ellington!
Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the 20th Century's Greatest Composer
Today is the 125th birthday of the greatest composer of the 20th century (and one of the greatest composers of all time) - Duke Ellington!
In a career spanning over 50 years, Duke Ellington composed over 2,000 pieces of music, released over 200 albums (and countless singles), and is estimated to have appeared in over 20,000 live performances across the globe. And that’s not including the vast number of artists who have performed and interpreted his influential works.
Today is a perfect day to honor Duke Ellington’s legacy as a composer, bandleader and pianist, but with such a staggeringly prolific legacy, where to begin? Let’s start with a playlist! I’ve picked 30 of my personal favorites here, beginning with the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s signature theme, “Take the “A” Train” (composed by Duke’s musical partner/companion of 30 years, Billy Strayhorn) and ending with a beautiful composition, “Vagabonds,” which could very well be the theme song for our Substack!
I should add that I have a very personal connection to the music of Duke Ellington, which is summed up in a live album so perfect I couldn’t choose which track to include in the playlist above. That album, The Duke at Fargo, 1940, is widely considered one of the finest live jazz recordings ever. And it just so happens my maternal grandfather was there at the legendary Fargo show! He was a teenager living in South Dakota, and he was such a Duke Ellington fanboy he followed the band around across several states, seeing every gig he possibly could. Every time I listen to this priceless recording, I can see my grandfather dancing the night away to the sounds of Duke Ellington leading one of his most acclaimed bands. I tell the whole story in a conversation we recorded in 2022, which you can listen to here: Ryan & Ryan In Conversation: All That Jazz - A deep-dive discussion into our favorite genre! Jazz!
If you want to be swept back in time to the night of November 7, 1940, for one night of gorgeous live music, have a listen to this masterpiece:
Who Wants to Take a Duke Ellington Deep Dive?
In addition to being the 125th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s death and the 50th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s passing, 2024 is also the 100th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s recording career. And you can listen to his very first issued recording (from a session in November 1924) here:
“There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind ... the only yardstick by which the result should be judged is simply that of how it sounds. If it sounds good it's successful; if it doesn't it has failed.” - Duke Ellington
9 of My Favorite Duke Ellington Studio Albums:
Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band [Listen on Spotify]
The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse [Listen on Spotify]
6 of My Favorite Duke Ellington Live Albums:
The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943 [Listen on Spotify]
70th Birthday Concert [Listen on Spotify]
9 of My Favorite Duke Ellington Collaborations:
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book [Listen on Spotify]
Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues [Listen on Spotify]
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington: The Great Summit [Listen on Spotify]
Money Jungle: Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus & Max Roach [Listen on Spotify]
Duke Ellington and Ray Brown: This One's for Blanton! [Listen on Spotify]
Duke Ellington … We Love You Madly
Lastly, check out this lovely Youtube video, Duke Ellington … We Love You Madly, recorded from a 1973 television tribute special (the year before Ellington’s death), featuring an all-star cast including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Count Basie, Chicago, and Joe Williams, with Quincy Jones as the music director!
Happy Birthday Duke!
