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Duke Ellington

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You ever hear of the jazz-playin' man, the man with the cats who could swing with his band? He was born in 1899, in Washington, D.C. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington. But wherever young Edward went, he said, "Hey, call me Duke."

Duke's name fit him rightly. He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid. But his piano playing wasn't always a breezy as his stride. When Duke's mother, Daisy, and his father, J.E., enrolled him in piano lessons, Duke didn't want to go. Baseball was Duke's idea of fun. But his parents had other notions for their child.

Duke had to start with the piano basics, his fingers playing the same tired tune-one-and-two-and-one-and-two. Daisy and J.E. made Duke practice day after day.

To Duke, one-and-two wasn't music. he called it an umpy-dump sound that was headed nowhere worth following. He quit his lessons and kissed the paino a fast good-bye.

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Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

927 ELL

Publisher

New York, USA : Scholastic Inc., 1998

Collation

32 pages : illustration ; 24 cm

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0439109949

Classification

927

Content Type

text

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

-

Subject(s)

Jazz musicians
United States

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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