Duke Ellington
Definition
Duke Ellington was an influential American jazz composer, pianist, and band leader who had a significant impact on the development of jazz music in the 20th century.
Analogy
Think of Duke Ellington as the Steven Spielberg of Jazz. Just like Spielberg revolutionized cinema with his unique storytelling and direction, Ellington transformed jazz with his innovative compositions and performances.
Related terms
Swing Era: This is a period in American music history (roughly from 1935 to 1946) when big band swing music was the most popular genre in the United States. Duke Ellington's music played a key role during this era.
Big Band: A type of musical ensemble associated primarily with playing jazz music which became popular during the Swing Era. It typically consists of around 12 to 25 musicians. Duke Ellington led one such famous Big Band.
Improvisation: This is a concept in music where composition and performance occur simultaneously. In other words, musicians make up parts of or entire pieces on-the-spot while they're playing them. Jazz, including Duke Ellington's work, heavily relies on improvisation.
"Duke Ellington" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.