Duke Ellington

Created by

Tandeka Campbell, Chantelle C. Lewis, and Melanie Riddick

Introduction  |  Task  | Resources  | Process  |  Evaluation 


Introduction

Duke Ellington, an American composer, conductor, and pianist, was one of the most respected figures in the history of jazz. He is acknowledged as the man who brought jazz into concert halls and religious services. Ellington was given the nickname "Duke" because of the flashy way he liked to dress.

Ellington was born Edward Kennedy Ellington, April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. As a child, Ellington took piano lessons, played at dances and parties and wrote his first compostion, "Soda Fountain Rag" at the age of sixteen.

In 1922, Ellington formed his own band called "The Washingtonians" and they relocated to New York . A year later, they opened a club there. Then, in 1927, The Washingtonians played in Harlem's infamous, Cotton Club. After leaving the Cotton Club, the band toured Europe.

Duke Ellington died May 24, 1974 after composing over 6,000 pieces , including more than 2,000 jazz pieces.
 

The Task 

You and your team have been selected to produce a documentary on the life of Duke Ellington.

You and your team will:

  • explain how Ellington got the nickname "Duke".
  • identify five songs that Ellington recorded.
  • research and find a musical selection to record from the World Wide Web.
  • analyze and describe the musical era in which Ellington lived.
  • identify at least two musical instruments that Ellington played.
  • produce a 30-45 minute presentation that incorporates all tasks completed and explain how Ellington made a significant contribution to the musical era.
 

Resources

The Process

  • Each participant will use the Internet for research.
  • Each participant will visit the archives from the American History Museum and view the Ellington Tour on the web.
  • Each participant will read the book "Duke: A Portrait of Duke Ellington" by Derek Jewell.
  • Each group member will write a paragraph on how they feel Ellington has contributed to the musical scene.

Evaluation

Your performance will be evaluated using the rubric. This will be a group grade.

Conclusion

In order to share our learning, each team will:

A. Share with the class one song they found that Duke Ellington recorded.

B. Write a 3-4 paragraph explanation of how Duke Ellington made a significant contribution to the field of music.