"A pivotal fixture of the Harlem Renaissance, Duke Ellington was the bandleader of the historic Cotton Club and a master composer -- writing close to 3,000 songs in his lifetime and capturing the spirit of the Black experience in the Unites States. Over a 50-year career, Ellington became one of the biggest names in jazz as we know it"--

A professor of music reveals how the cooperative method inspired the history-changing achievements of The Beatles and Duke Ellington's Orchestra. The Beatles and Duke Ellington's Orchestra stand as the two greatest examples of collaboration in music history. Ellington's forte was not melody--his key partners were not lyricists but his fellow musicians. His strength was in arranging, in elevating the role of a featured soloist, in selecting titles:...

Rare musical performances: Django Reinhardt with Stéphane Grapelli and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France in Jazz hot (1939), Duke Ellington and the Cotton Club Orchestra featured in Black and tan (1929), Louis Armstrong in Copenhagen, 1934, and a 1929 performance from the Utica Jubilee Singers.

Provides comprehensive information on musicians and groups from around the world. Entries include a detailed biographical essay, selected discographies, contact information, and a list of sources.

Joyce DiDonato greets listeners with a song in her heart and a twinkle in her eye. The American mezzo-soprano's album unites world-class musicians from the varied worlds of opera, jazz, and tango in the pure pleasure of improvisation, experimentation, and exchange.