American Musician: Duke Ellington - Coursework Example

Client Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington was an American musician who, while one of themore influential jazz artists, preferred to call his work American Music. Ellington put together a group of exceptional musicians and developed them into an orchestra that was prominent both before and after World War II. Ellington had the roles of pianist, composer, and bandleader, having the flexibility to compose for a variety of musicians and reflect their respective styles (Dance 2). Advancing a musical style with a complexity of origins, but firmly within the American music landscape, Ellington created work that has a continued influence in the music world. Through an examination of his composition “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing)”, a look at the style an innovation of Ellington will reveal the importance of this American icon. James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington had a son on April 29, 1899 and named him Edward Kennedy Ellington. His family was in a middle economic earned income within the African American community of Northwest Washington D. C. (Hasse 23). His mother and father both played the piano and at a very tender age Ellington learned that music had the ability to evoke strong emotions. He first learned to play the piano through lessons when his mother put him with Mrs. Marietta Clinkscales at the age of seven or eight, although this is not known as having a great impact because he Client Last Name 2 had many other interests at this time just as any other little boy (Hasse 26). What he did find was that he had a flair for the dramatic and loved to put on a show for people. He began selling peanuts and candy at baseball games, and while he at first found he had some stage fright, eventually he learned to tell jokes, dance, and play a harmonica in order to get attention for his sales. At the age of twelve he often snuck into the Gaiety Theatre to watch the burlesque shows, giving him an early education on the production of a show. When he then began sneaking down to Frank Holliday’s pool hall, he began to understand the way in which they dynamic of a diverse group (as the pool hall attracted) could benefit the whole (Hasse 26-28). The first piece of music that Ellington would write was influenced by the many ragtime pianists he had heard in Washington D. C. Although the piece does not have a definitive date of composition, Ellington said that he wrote it just before he entered high school, giving it an approximate date of 1914. The piece, referred to both as “Soda Fountain Rag“ (sometimes known as “Poodle Dog Rag“), was never formally published, but was played occasionally either in its whole or in pieces throughout his career. Part of the piece was incorporated into his work, “Oklahoma Stomp” which was recorded under is band Six Jolly Jesters in 1929 (Tucker 34). In 1917, Ellington began his music career, playing piano at night throughout his hometown. The first group he formed was The Duke’s Serenaders and their first job was at True Reformer’s Hall where he and his group played from 8pm to 1am for which he was paid 75 cents (Hasse 43). As their career progressed, Ellington acted as booking agent and business manager, having an innate ability to make and close profitable deals. Client Last Name 3 He also understood the need for and the way in which to create a persona. He developed a style for most aspects of his life, including having his friend Black Bowie go down to a club or event that he would be attending and spread the news that he would soon arrive. After this, he would then have his friend Jerry Rhea go down and throw open the door upon Duke’s arrival announce “Get out of the way, ‘cause here comes Duke” (Hasse 51). Duke Ellington said, “If jazz means anything at all, which is questionable, it means the same thing that it meant to musicians fifty years ago - freedom of expression. I used to have a definition, but I don’t think I have one anymore, unless it is that it is a music with an African foundation which came out of an American environment” (Dance 2). In attempting to classify the music that was created by Ellington and his orchestra, many terms were applied, such as Chicago style, Swing, Hard Bop, etc., but the way in which the development of the music came into its creative voice left it indefinable by anything other than the foundation that Ellington mentioned - as African from an American environment. In his popular composition, “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing)”, the suggestion is made of a style of music that wouldn’t be popular for several years, known as Swing. Written in 1932, the work was first recorded by Ellington and his band, reaching number six on the charts, but then later that year again reaching number seven after being released by the Mills Brothers (Jazz). While not a perfect example of the performing style, the piece was a precursor to a more definitive style within American music called swing - and was the first public reference within a song to that style. While other musicians such as Jelly Roll Morton and James “Bubber” Miley had been using the Client Last Name 4 reference and the style within their music, with this piece it was brought forward into popularity (Schuller 50). The piece was found it’s instrumentation from his group, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra which was comprised of various wind instruments, bass and the piano. The piece has a distinctive rhythm that allows for listeners to easily move and dance to the music. The basic rhythm can be heard at the beginning through the a bass track which can be interpreted by 1 and ah two and ah, with each of the numbers being held over a quarter note counts with the ‘and’ and the ‘ah’ being on one eight, thus creating the syncopation in 2/2 time. The piece was designed to be popular, as it has an easily established count in a syncopated rhythm that is easily accessible from a listening point of view, whether or not one is trained in music. The performance style description of Swing is a word used in Harlem of the time to mean rhythm, which is the foundation of both the music and dance style (Martin and Walters 120). The melody of the lyrics is also easy to pick up with an untrained ear, allowing for a sing-a-long quality to the song, while the harmonies are not complicated beyond the popular audience’s ability to comprehend. The harmonies are created by the use of a dropping diminished chord on the first note of the second measure, creating a change in key signature. This allows for the development of the jazz connection to the style. The dynamics of the piece has a varying degree of loud and soft parts. The work starts on 4, then raises to a level of about 6 when the lyrics begin. Through the rest of the song, the dynamic level changes subtly to bring the music up, and then back down, allowing for the movement of dance to interpret it’s energy. Client Last Name 5 The texture of the piece is a subtle work that allows for movement within the instrumentation, using the trumpet to create a sound that is distinctive. The bass keeps a steady undertone, allowing for the rhythm and the harmony to be created for a centered foundational support. The rest of the instrumentation allows for a swirling sense of texture as the other instruments raise and fall in their dynamic, always allowing the trumpet to shine through. The background rhythm has the touch of the drum kit, soft, yet distinguished by the sound of gently played skins. This piece has a smooth feeling that uses subtle transitions in order to rise and fall as the music warrants. The trumpet comes up and then down I prominence as the texture of the work allows for eased transitions in and out of the instrumentation. Duke Ellington was a brilliant musician who created a series of influential work that could be used by following artists. As well, he was an accomplished businessman who was able to bring his music business into national prominence so that he could indulge the art form that he loved. Ellington also launched the careers of many prominent artists that would continue into their own fame and achievement. In creating the song “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing)”, he brought the concept of Swing into the forefront of American popular culture which would influence the genre as it developed several years later. The piece has been published by many artists as it is iconic in the American music industry. While the more brazen and raucous version by Cab Callaway is more popularly thought of when the song is mentioned, the more subtle and cooled down version originally released by Duke Ellington has a sensibility that is an example of early 20th century jazz. Client Last Name 6 Works Cited Dance, Stanley. The World of Duke Ellington. [New York]: Da Capo Press, 2000. Hasse, John Edward. Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. New York: Da Capo Press, 1995. Jazz Standards. “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If You Ain’t Got That Swing) (1932).” 20 June 2009. 2008 Martin, Henry, and Keith Waters. Jazz: The First 100 Years. Belmont, CA: Thomson / Schirmer, 2006. Schuller, Gunther. The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Tucker, Mark. Ellington: The Early Years. Music in American life. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995. Music Piece can be found on “The Duke: The Columbia Years 1927-1967” from which a sample can be heard at http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B0002VEYF4/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img Read More