Duke Ellington

A paramount figure in the history of jazz, Duke Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and leader of his eponymous orchestra for over five decades. [8] His genius for orchestration and for writing to the specific talents of his soloists elevated the big band from dance music to a complex art form. [8, 11] Ellington created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in Western music, composing thousands of scores that established him as one of America's greatest composers. [3, 8] He referred to his own work as "American Music" rather than jazz, a testament to his view of his music as being beyond category. [1, 16]