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    Duke Ellington
    Duke Ellington
    Duke Ellington
    Audiobook36 minutes

    Duke Ellington

    Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney

    Narrated by Forest Whitaker

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Duke Ellington was hailed as the "King of the Keys." This is a most fitting tribute to a great man who proudly celebrated the history of African-Americans from slavery to civil rights struggles.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWeston Woods
    Release dateJan 1, 2000
    ISBN9780545257954
    Duke Ellington
    Author

    Andrea Davis Pinkney

    Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times best-selling author of several books for young readers, including the novel Bird in a Box, a Today Show Al Roker Book Club for Kids pick, and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America, winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award. Additional works include the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor book Duke Ellington, illustrated by her husband, Brian Pinkney; and Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters, a Coretta Scott King Honor book and winner of the Carter G. Woodson Award. Andrea Davis Pinkney lives in New York City.

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    Reviews for Duke Ellington

    4/5

    31 ratings30 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book is about one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century Duke Ellington, "the king of keys" When Duke was younger his parents begged him to play the piano, he thought it was boring. Then one day he heard a man playing "ragtime" music and that was music to his ears he loved it. So he was back on the piano. He formed a band that was very sucessful. Playing at a nightclub called "Cotton Club" Harlem's hottest night spot. Over time he and his orchestra became known nation wide.I liked this booked because its very positive and enlighting. Its a good book to read because it shows that people can become very sucessful doing something that they love.I can relate this in my classroom by having my children right a page over something that enjoy doing. Maybe something that didn't like at first but enjoy doing now.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Duke Ellington and his life and season during the Harlem Renaissance Era. This story can be read during a history lesson about these events. Students will love the descriptive adjectives used in the story and the bright illustrations.
    • 5/5
      This book is about the great jazz pianist Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. He was born in 1899 in Washington, D.C. He plays piano as a child, but finds traditional techniques to be boring. When he is older, he hears ragtime music and begins to create his own style of music that features new tempos, key combinations-a whole new type of music which many called jazz, but he called it “The music of his people.” Duke Ellington and his orchestra, the Washingtonians, later called Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. His orchestra plays in Harlem’s Cotton Club and his music is broadcasted on the radio for many people of America to hear in their own homes. Many people in America buy his albums, making him and his orchestra extremely successful. He even performs at Carnegie Hall in 1943 with a suite of music he composed called Black, Brown, and Beige, which celebrated the history of African Americans. He was one of the first African Americans to play at Carnegie Hall. This book would make a great mentor text for a lesson on music in a classroom. Reading about Ellington's life and his accomplishments would be great to connect with a unit on music or 20th century inspirational people. This would be a book that could be used when studying other influential people like Martin Luther King Jr. during Black History Month.
    • 4/5
      Grades: 3-5Genre: BiographyThemes: Music, Black History, perseveranceThis picture book describes Duke Ellington's music and life in vivid color through the beautiful illustrations. The language works in the story as well. There are a number of ways to use this book in the classroom. It could be used for Black history lessons. I like the figurative language and would also use this story to teach children how you can almost hear the instruments playing the songs by the words the author uses to describe them.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book because one of my interests is music especially Jazz music. Duke Ellington is one of the all time greats; I loved reading about him. This book was very informative for an elementary school children's book. For example, i had no idea that Duke Ellington was born in Washington D.C. or that he loved baseball before he grew to love the piano. I also liked the onomonopea that the story included such as "umpy-dumpy". The illustrations were very colorful with many different shapes and music notes. When there was a picture of a musician playing an instrument there would be different smoke-like shapes and colorful music notes.
    • 3/5
      The famous Duke Ellington was one of the most famous composers of the 20th century. As a young boy Duke hated taking piano lessons. Read this story to see how evolved jazz music.
    • 4/5
      In my opinion, this is an informational book. This book is a biography so it is bound to have a lot of information for the young reader. Although it is a bit long, the reader can see the illustrations and understand what is going on. The colorful, detailed pictures, the reader can create the scene better in their mind and start to learn how to use their imagination better when reading books in general. Another reason why I liked this book was because of the writing. At times, biography books can be hard to read, at least for the younger children because the information can be a lot of them to handle. However, this writing in this book flows very well so the story is easier to read.The purpose of this book is to inform readers of Duke Ellington's life. People like Duke are not very popular for the younger children, but through this book readers can become more aware of jazz music and the contributor of it.
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining, LOVE the language! "...compositions smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade." Bright and musical illustrations
    • 3/5
      Although I really liked this book, Duke Ellington is not such a household name for most students so there was not much connection for them. So if I were to use this in my curriculum I would want to create some background knowledge with the students about jazz and black history.
    • 5/5
      This is the story of famous music composer and musician Duke Ellington. With hi orchestra, Duke created a new sound that made him very famous. The book is very well illustrated and features many different musical instruments.
    • 5/5
      See more @ The Indigo Quill . blogspot . com

      First I'd like to point out what a fine-looking couple the author and illustrator are! You know you're blessed when your soulmate's calling in life coincides with your own. That is just so darn precious.

      This children's book comes not only with funky artwork, but the language is also set to its own beat. You learn cool new metaphors like "spicier than a pot of jambalaya!" or slang terms like "swankiest." You and your child(ren) can have fun together enjoying the colorful movement of the pages while learning about Duke Ellington's musical legacy during a time of racism. Andrea Davis Pinkney does a masterful job of creating equal movement with her words throughout the book.

      Interestingly enough, the pictures are done by the scratchboard painting technique. Scratchboard painting is created by using a white board that is covered with black ink and taking a nib (a very sharp tool) to scratch wavy ink that creates an image. Once the image is designed, the scratched part is painted over with oil paints, Luma dyes, and acrylic paints. Voila! A beautiful masterpiece that is unique, colorful, and pleasing to the young eye.

      I loved the velvety rhythm and movement between the words and illustrations. This is a very unique book that can be used as an educational tool for both musical and African-American history. I would suggest playing some of Duke Ellington's music along with this book to enhance the learning experience. I look forward to discovering more books by these two!
    • 5/5
      This biography picture book tells about the accomplished Duke Ellington and his love of music. The story is presented with descriptive text and wonderfully composed illustrations. The main idea of this picture book is that one can accomplish anything if they set their mind to it. Duke Ellington persevered and practiced, to become the best of all time. I would recommend this book for music lovers and all readers in general.
    • 4/5
      This book was illustrated beautifully. it lent a whole new aspect to Duke Ellington's story that wouldn't have been there if there were no picture. Duke Ellington initially hated the piano so it was interesting to learn that he was famous for playing the piano.
    • 3/5
      A great book introducing kids to musings of past times. This book tells the journey Duke Ellington embarked on to become a great pianist. He did not enjoying playing the Kano but soon found a passion for playing.
    • 3/5
      Overall, I thought this was a good book and accomplished the goal of explaining Duke Ellington’s life from a child perspective. The first reason I enjoyed this book was because of the plot. The author did a nice job of giving the details of Duke Ellington’s life, but from a perspective a child would relate to. For instance, the part where the author said Duke preferred to play baseball, but his parents made him stick with the piano lessons. Another reason I enjoyed this story was because of the illustrations. They were very bright and vibrant and match the style of Duke Ellington’s music. The third reason I thought this was a good book was because of the style. The author gave enough details to give a student the main insight on Ellington, but didn’t cover each page with a ton of words. This kept it a simple read for the age level it is aiming at. For instance, when explaining that Ellington was playing at the famous Cotton Club, the author didn’t bore the reader with facts about the club. Overall, I think the story was about hard work and following your dreams through the story of Duke Ellington’s life.
    • 3/5
      “Duke Ellington” follows the life and contributions of a key musician to the evolution of Jazz during the 1930’s and 1940’s. It begins in his childhood when Duke hated playing music, gravitated to his love for music, and then followed his road to become the famous Duke Ellington who played his Jazz music all over the United States. The purpose of this story is to inform the reader on Dukes life while also showing how hard he worked to get where he was and the impact he had on Jazz music in America. One way the author did this was through including his life before he was famous. It included some of the smaller night clubs and gigs that Duke had before he worked his way up. This way the author can see how hard Duke worked for his fame. The author also includes many terms and words that are specific to this era. For example, he uses words like Daddy-O, car, cuttin’ the rug, and hot-buttered. These help pull the reader in while at the same time giving a better understanding of this time period. Finally, at the end of the story the author gives another biography of Duke’s life that is written more informational than narrative. This helps give the reader a quick summary of the story while also giving them more details to the life of Duke. This book puts a fun spin on a biography. One of the best parts of this book was the pictures. They greatly added to the feel of the book. All the characters were dressed in the times period and they had bright colors and bold shapes to add to the upbeat feel of the book. The smooth, noticeable lines of the brushstrokes add to the smooth feel that Jazz gives the listener.
    • 5/5
      This book is good for children who are in elementary school. It is a biography on Duke Ellington's life, and it does a good job of covering a lot of information at the elementary school level. The pictures are realistic and help tell the story of his life.
    • 4/5
      With a backdrop of wonderful illustrations by Brian Pinkney, Andrea Davis Pinkney tells the reader of a story of a boy who wanted to play baseball and shunned the idea of his parents that he play piano. This boy was Edward Kennedy Ellington, also known as Duke Ellington. Years later, Duke hears someone playing ragtime on the piano and decides he wants to play piano after all. We follow his nothing to something story, and learn that with a bit of practice we can accomplish anything.
    • 3/5
      Husband-and-wife team Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney turn to the story of the great Jazz musician and composer Duke Ellington in this picture-book biography, with very engaging results. Chronicling the life of an American legend, from his boyhood in early twentieth century Washington, D.C., when he rebelled against the piano lessons imposed by his parents - the sound of the music he was asked to practice led "nowhere worth following," in his view - through his discovery that this was an instrument that could be used in a variety of genres and styles, Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra follows its subject through the creation of his Jazz group (Duke Ellington and his Orchestra) and their ascent to fame, and concludes with the famous 1943 concert at Carnegie Hall, where the piece Black, Brown and Beige was introduced. An afterword provides additional information, as well as a list of sources.I enjoyed this brief introduction to the life of Duke Ellington, particularly as I know so little about him, and think that Brian Pinkney's lively illustrations - with their exuberant use of color and motion - were very deserving of the Caldecott Honor they received in 1999. I appreciated the fact that Ellington discovered he was wrong about the piano - that it could be used in other ways, and to express other styles - because I am someone who listens to a very eclectic mixture of music (everything from Tuvan throat singing to Schubert's lieder), and think that sometimes people fall into the trap of thinking that music can only sound a certain way, or that various styles are mutually exclusive. All in all, a very engaging book, one I recommend to young music lovers and/or biography readers, although I think my friend Lisa is right, that it would have benefited from the inclusion of some actual music (a CD, perhaps?).
    • 4/5
      This picture book biography is about Duke Ellington. Starting from when he was a child all the way to his death. This book showed all of Ellington's accomplishments. Ellington played music for a living, and music was his passion. He loved jazz music, which he was most passionate about. If I taught a music class, I would read this book to my students because it is important to learn about musicians.
    • 4/5
      This story is a biography about Duke Ellington, one of the early figures in the development of jazz. What makes this story so good is that it is told in the vernacular of the time period when jazz was just starting. We learn about Duke and how his parents wanted him to play the piano. Duke had other ideas and quit. Years later he would hear someone play the piano in a different way which was called Ragtime. He decided he needed to learn how to play this kind of music. He started his own band which grew into an orchestra. After a successful run at the Cotton Club, he toured the US and abroad. He became known for his unusual way of playing and his compositions were something special. He made his Carnegie Hall debut on January, 23, 1943 and the rest is history. The text is just wonderful as it gives the reader a true flavor of the word of jazz and how people talked about it. The illustrations are top notch and tell us as much as the text does about the influence jazz had on the African American musician and the audiences that flocked to hear them.
    • 5/5
      This book is all about music. This is a great story about the great jazz and piano player Duke Ellington. This book takes the readers into the life of Duke Ellington and his many adventures into becoming the greatest musician. It showed that Duke Ellington was an accomplished composer. He brought together an orchestra and celebrated the history of African American people. Duke had a suite called Black, Brown, and Beige. This book is a great book to explain to readers what it was like to live in a racial segregation. Music brought everyone together!
    • 4/5
      Jazz legend Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, “King of the Keys,” born in 1899, is renown for creating a whole new kind of music. A musician and composer, he more than 1000 works, including ballet and film scores, orchestral suites, and musicals. This biography employs a lyrical text and swirls of color to convey the sounds of the music, with curling notes and loop-de-loops and flights of “sassy-cool” notes. Background information and source notes are included at the end of the text. This award-winning book is both a visual and auditory treat.
    • 5/5
      Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, and he preferred to be called Duke. When he was a young boy, he loved playing baseball, but his parents wanted him to play piano, so the parents put him in piano lessons. Duke could not make sense of notes, so he decide not to attend the lessons anymore. When he was older, Duke heard someone play piano and it sounded wonderful. Since he heard someone playing piano so beautifully, he decided to start practicing as well. All began to make sense, and with practice Duke became better. He started playing for people, started his band, and played in many parts of Washington. Eventually he was playing in New York, and he had many hits. One of his hits is called Creole Love Call, and many people listened to it. His orchestra members also played well, and eventually Duke was known for his orchestra, and not for his piano playing. The book shows illustrations of the beautiful colorful notes that comes out from Duke’s orchestra. The illustrations in the book are vivid, the beginning of his career is reflected, his hits, and the culture of African Americans are displayed as well.
    • 4/5
      This story is about the legend of Jazz music, Duke Ellington. He is a remarkable historical figure that young readers should be educated about to learn from his life journey as a composer and creator of beautiful music. You could use it to teach the overall theme and sequence of events.
    • 3/5
      It was kind of dry because of the pages devoted to the descriptions of the soloist in Duke's Orchestra, but like Ella, is informational
    • 5/5
      This richly illustrated, surprisingly thorough (for such a small book for young audiences) biography, examines the early life and career of one of America’s greatest composers and musicians, Duke Ellington. The book also pays tribute to longtime Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn, and the individual soloists in Ellington’s earliest orchestra, that rocked the Cotton Club, radio and records, Carnegie Hall, and would later travel the world. The unusual oil painting-like illustrations, and occasional “hip, jive,” jazz vernacular text, make the book something more than just another dry biography that might lose the interest of young readers. The book is based in part on the content of a book and traveling exhibition called “Beyond Category: The Musical Genius of Duke Ellington,” organized by the Smithsonian Institution. (Unfortunately, the book is missing those credits in its list of “Sources.”)
    • 4/5
      I loved reading “Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra”. This book is a biography of Duke Ellington, a famous Jazz musician. I enjoyed reading this book because I do not know much about the history of Jazz music or Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington was an inspirational Jazz musician that was born in Washington D.C in 1899. The bright and colorful illustrations in this text show the reader the “color” of Jazz music. I feel that the author and illustrator incorporated these bright colors to transcend the effects that Jazz music has had on it's followers and listeners. The swirling illustrations allow the dancers to appear as if they are moving across the page adding a visual effect to coincide with the text. Also, from this book I was able to learn more about Duke Ellington and see how he inspired Jazz music and also influenced music that is popular today. I enjoyed reading this book and loved how the text provided information to the audience of the milestones in Duke Ellington's life and career.
    • 5/5
      This book is not just about Duke ellington, although it mainly foucses on his life also highlights the talents of his bandmates that played with him. The beautiful artwork is what attracted me to the book and I was pleased to find the pictures on every page were just as great capturing the feel of the era. The colors and swirls almost lets you feel the excitement of the music thet Duke played. I would definetly love to own this one.
    • 5/5
      This book would be good to use when teaching imagery, especially sound imagery. It would also be good to use when talking about African-American culture and music. I think students will like this book because it makes a word picture when it is read.