Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington's birthday arrived earlier this week --- he was born April 29th, 1899, in Washington, DC; he died in 1974.
The other day, in fact on the morning of the 29th, there was a very nice profile on NPR's Morning Edition (as heard on this here radio station) of this truly and majestically great American pianist, composer, bandleader, and musician. More precisely, it was a profile of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a public high school in the District of Columbia which caters to especially gifted students (and which was established the year Ellington died).
On the next All This Jazz --- beginning at 10pm local time on Saturday the 3rd on Public Radio 89.5 --- Ellington's compositions will be our second-hour theme.
The Duke's reign continues. Hope you can join us.
It's All This Jazz.
(Here's the fine-print stuff: ATJ airs every Saturday night on Public Radio 89.5, from 10pm till midnight. We always thereafter offer a 7pm re-airing of the program on Sunday evening, on Jazz 89.5-2, which is our station's all-jazz HD Radio channel. Each week, we spin modern jazz, both recent and classic...from Geri Allen to John Zorn, from Louis Armstrong to Joe Zawinul. And the second half of our two-hour program, beginning at 11pm, invariably carries a theme. And lest we forget: All This Jazz now has a Facebook page. Like it! Share it! Gracias!)
