Duke Ellington Vinyl Records

Duke Ellington was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who achieved legendary status during the first half of the 20th century. He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1899 and rose to fame in the 1920s with his big band playing at the Cotton Club in New York City. He wrote and arranged over 2000 compositions, and his music continues to be played and recorded today.

Duke Ellington's standout albums include Ellington at Newport (1956), The Nutcracker Suite (1960), and The Far East Suite (1966). His most famous songs include “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Satin Doll,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Caravan,” and “Mood Indigo.”

An interesting fact about Duke Ellington is that he was the first African American to have his own radio show, which was broadcast on NBC in 1939.