History:
- Written by Billy Strayhorn (piano) in 1939
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Publishers) raised their broadcasting fees in 1940
- This made it very expensive to play live recordings over the radio (compositions by ASCAP members - Ellington was a member)
- Most radios hired bands to perform live over the air to broadcast to a jazz hungry audience
- Strayhorn, a non-ASCAP member, was playing in Ellington's band at the time and composed this as The Duke Ellington Orchestra's new "signature" jazz chart
- Duke Ellington is considered one of America's best composers (he wrote over 1000 compositions)
- Billy Strayhorn collaborated with Duke Ellington for almost 30 years
- Duke Ellington's band was a symbol of racial equality - it toured around the country with both black and white jazz performers
- That is Duke Ellington playing the opening piano solo in this video clip
- The Duke Ellington Orchestra still tours the world to this day
- after Duke's death, Mercer Ellington (his son) took over as bandleader and it is currently being led by Paul Ellington
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