Who Was Duke Ellington?

A young boy from Washington, DC, who loved ragtime music
An ambitious young composer who was a star of the Harlem Renaissance
One of the most important figures in the history of jazz

How did a working-class young man from Washington, DC, turn the music world on its head and become the “Master Of Jazz”? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library!

A pivotal fixture of the Harlem Renaissance, Duke Ellington was the bandleader of the historic Cotton Club and a master composer — writing close to 3,000 songs in his lifetime and capturing the spirit of the Black experience in the Unites States. Over a 50-year career, Ellington became one of the biggest names in jazz as we know it. He went on to win 13 Grammys, a Pulitzer, and receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969. Who Was Duke Ellington? follows the exciting, multifaceted journey of this musical genius and takes a look at what truly makes Ellington an artist “beyond category.”