Undated photograph of Ellington and group in Louis Thomas' cabaret. Left to right; Sonny Greer, drums; Bertha Ricks, singer; Ellington, middle at piano; Sterling Conaway and wife, banjo. Edward Kennedy Ellington (April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974) was an Amer
Undated photograph of Ellington and group in Louis Thomas' cabaret. Left to right; Sonny Greer, drums; Bertha Ricks, singer; Ellington, middle at piano; Sterling Conaway and wife, banjo. Edward Kennedy Ellington (April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist and bandleader of jazz orchestras. His career spanned over 50 years, leading his orchestra from 1923 until he died. Born in Washington, , he was based in New York City from the 1920s, and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club. In the 1930s they toured in Europe. Often collaborating with others, he originated over a thousand compositions and his extensive oeuvre is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with many of his extant works having become standards. After 1941, he collaborated with composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn. Following an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1956, he enjoyed a major career revival and, with his orchestra, embarked on world tours. He is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional genres of music. He died from lung cancer and pneumonia in 1974, a month after his 75th birthday. His last words were, "Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered." His reputation increased after his death and he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 1999.
Size: 3900px × 2640px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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