About the book
Duke Ellington grew up in a working-class family in Washington, DC, with a love of ragtime. He became a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, directed the band at the Cotton Club, and composed nearly 3,000 songs.
This illustrated biography follows a musical career spanning half a century and explores how Ellington expressed the Black experience through his work. Along the way came 13 Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. M. D. Payne and Who HQ trace the many sides of an artist whose music defied easy categories.
Read a sample at the publisher
