Duke Ellington

jazz · composer · orchestra · 20th century

Master of the Piano. Duke Ellington was an incredible pianist who could play jazz in ways nobody had heard before. He didn't just perform other people's music, he created his own style that inspired musicians everywhere.

Composed Thousands of Songs. Duke wrote an enormous amount of music during his lifetime, creating melodies and arrangements that became jazz classics. Many of his songs are still played and loved by musicians today.

Led His Orchestra for Decades. Starting in 1924, Duke led his own jazz orchestra that became one of the most famous bands in the world. He kept this orchestra going for the rest of his life, always creating new music with his talented musicians.

America's Greatest Composer. Music critics called Duke Ellington America's most important composer because he changed what jazz could be. His music blended different styles and showed that jazz was as sophisticated and important as any classical music.