In a time when music was going through a transformation from a ragtime style to a jazz-blues fusion, Duke Ellington was there to add his own style. There may have been many more decorated composers and musicians, but Duke Ellington revolutionized the way music was written, and in the eyes of many, has earned the title of being the "great American Composer."(Williams, 51) Brought up in a modest environment, Ellington never finished high school but instead went on the road to begin his legendary jazz career.
Growing up in acquaintance with such great jazz musicians as Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, Ellington left his education and family to play amongst the great bands in New York. Upon arriving in New York in 1923, Ellington found that his plans were foiled as the job which supposedly awaited him was no longer available. Next, Ellington just happened to run into an old friend by the name of Ada Smith, who was later to secure Ellington's band a secure job as the house band at the club which she worked at. This was the first of many lucky occurrences which would propel Ellington's career even further. Over the course of his life, Ellington would be saved many a time, not by his skill at music, but simply his great luck, which he gladly admits.(Brown, 21)
The big city during the 1920's was not as glamorous as the pictures and glittering lights may lead people to believe, but instead was filled with seedy characters and gun toting gangsters. Ellington's workplace was a hazard in itself, with bottles from drunkards flying and bullets whizzing by heads on a regular basis. Ellington did not allow any of these things to get in the way of his career or creativity, but instead possibly aided in the shaping of his music. Segregation and racism was in action on a large scale, with the Ku Klux Klan having a total of 4 million members and people band from certain places simply because of their skin color.(Brown, 23)
Through his musical talent, Duke Ellington was able to indirectly bridge the gap between the white upper-class crowd and black lower-class. Ellington would play in such ritzy "joints" as the Cotton Club, to shoddy rent parties in which he was paid only a dollar a night. In a time when money was everything, Ellington played simply to please his audience. Soon, white people who once only chose to watch white performers found themselves watching and listening in awe to the sweet music of Ellington. Whites, blacks, and gangsters stood side-by-side at clubs and sat at the same tables elbow-to-elbow. At one point, Ellington received threats to be kidnapped, but was soon rescued by a gangster who came to appreciate Ellington's work. To some extent, it was not the gangsters which held the people at their command, but instead the musicians of the time. It was as if both of these races and lifestyles were united through this intangible force; the universal language of music.(Brown, 39-45)
On the musical side of Ellington's achievements would have to be his contributions towards transforming the traditional jazz-influenced American dance band of the time, to a real jazz orchestra(Williams, 51). With the help of a fellow band leader, Fletcher Henderson, Ellington was able to focus less on the dancing areas of jazz, but more on the musical side, which led to a greater quality of jazz. Unknown to many, Ellington wished very much to write his own musical, but was never successful in actually starting it. Regardless of this he is considered by many, our greatest American composer in any style of music(Williams, 232)
Another one of Ellington's achievements was his ability to excite the audience with his performances. Unlike today, many of the people were aware about all the music around them during the 1920s, which was partly due to the great performers of the time such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. With the electrifying concerts which Ellington put on, he was able to make jazz, and music as a whole, grow to a popularity which rivaled that of the American pastime of baseball. From people in their old age, to those in high school, music now became something special, the equivalent of what television is today. It is this achievement which I feel give the people of the 1920s an advantage over those of today; the experience of enjoying a variety of music(George, 148)
The greatest achievement of Duke Ellington during his career, is one which still influences the music artists of today. Unlike many of the band leaders of his time, Ellington chose to allow his band members to play however they felt was right for them. Aware of each members' ability, he would build his music around them, instead of writing music the way he thought it should be played(Brown, 48-50). Through improvisation, a whole new dimension to jazz was introduced. Ellington's success in incorporating the different "colors" of each instrument is probably due to his potential as an artist of the canvas. Other than being a master of jazz, Ellington was also skilled at painting. His background in painting allowed him to see the different colors in the music. He once referred to each scale as a different color, and a musical scale as a rainbow(George, 226). Without the introduction of improvisation in music, we would find today's music lacking in much of the liveliness which brings about enjoyment.
Duke Ellington's contributions to the world of the 1920s spans from advancements of music in international cultures, to the lasting impressions he has had upon jazz. Music to him was something more than a way of earning money, but something of color, life, and meaning. Duke Ellington described music best in his quote:
"Wise and patient,
Unfathomably kind,
Music is the woman you always wanted to find.(Ellington, 39)"
Music and Duke Ellington are connected by a strong bind, drawing him to leave his education, his wife, his child, his friends, but always seeming to take care of him as the woman he always wanted to find.
