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Duke Ellington's Role In The Development Of Jazz

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Duke Ellington's Role In The Development Of Jazz
Born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899, Duke Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader who gained fame by performing with his orchestra both in the Cotton Club in Harlem and in Europe. Regarded as a major figure in the development of jazz, Ellington identified his music as American music and adopted the phrase of his colleague Billy Strayhorn “beyond category” as a principle. Ellington started taking piano lessons locally at the age of seven and his mother insisted that he be aware of his manners and to live elegantly. Edgar McEntree, a longtime friend of Ellington, gave Ellington the nickname “Duke” for his elegant and noble character. Turning to his compositions, Ellington was known for his unconventional band-section

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