Assigned Blog #2
Duke Ellington
He was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. He wrote over 1,000 compositions. A major figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, pop, and classical. 
His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing, scoring for movies, composing stage musicals, and world tours. Several of his instrumental works were adapted into songs that became standards. Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, and thanks to his eloquence and extraordinary charisma, he is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional genres of music.
He called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as beyond category. He remains one of the most influential figures in jazz. As both a composer and a band leader, Ellington's reputation has increased since his death, with thematic repackaging of his signature music often becoming best-sellers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington
http://www.dukeellington.com/ellingtonbio.html
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