Duke Ellington
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.” — Duke Ellington
Seventy-five years have passed since jazz composer
Duke Ellington’s heyday, but his timeless tunes
haven’t lost that “thing” that made them swing.
During his 50-year career, Ellington wrote classics
such as “Caravan,” “Daydream,” “I Let A Song Go Out Of
My Heart,” and “In A Sentimental Mood.” These
compositions were embraced by scores of fans and
ensured Ellington a place in musical history.
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George Gershwin
“True music must repeat the thought and inspirations
of the people and the time. My people are Americans
and my time is today.”
— George Gershwin
A simple twist of fate was all it took for George
Gershwin to discover the talent that made him a
legend. Destiny came knocking when George’s parents
purchased a piano for his older brother, Ira, who
expressed an interest in learning to play. But to
everyone’s surprise, it was George who had a natural
gift for the instrument and the youngster was soon
playing by ear. By the age of 12, George had become
quite proficient and was on the road to becoming one
of the world’s most famous composers.
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Cole Porter
“Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it.
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.”
— Cole Porter
Everyone was doin’ it in the 1930’s - falling in love
with Cole Porter’s music. Throughout the decade, the
composer beguiled the American public with hits such
as “Night and Day,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,”
“You’re the Top,” and “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.”
Few could match his songwriting abilities and Porter
set new standards, which even today’s composers still
aspire to.
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Fats Waller
“You get that right-tickin’ rhythm, man, and it’s ON!”
— Fats Waller
From the time composer/musician Fats Waller was a
little kid playing organ in church, he knew his
fingers were made for a divine purpose. His daddy,
who was a Baptist preacher, believed that purpose was to
make music for God. However Waller had something
else in mind - jazz!
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