Details
Synopsis
This fascinating collection of memories from Duke Ellington's colleagues and fellow musicians draws on respected jazz writer Stanley Dance's interviews with such legends as songwriter Billy Strayhorn, saxophonists Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster, and longtime drummer Sonny Greer, as well as the great bandleader himself, to paint an indelible portrait of a towering figure of 20th century jazz. Greer recalls his early days with the Duke in Prohibition-era Washington, when bootleggers would heap banknotes onto a pool table and tell the musicians to help themselves. Strayhorn explains his writing process, tailoring his work to the strengths of Ellington's individual musicians. Ellington himself attempts to explain to the uninitiated his distaste for pigeonholing jazz into categories, and Sam Woodyard, who took over the Ellington band drum stool when Greer retired, is fascinating about the drummer's role in the band. Though each musician's tale is unique, they all add up to a remarkable composite overview of one of the 20th-century's greatest big bands, as well as its leader.
| Size | | Height: | 8.3 in | | Width: | 5.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.8 in | | Weight: | 12.0 oz |
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