The Phoenix index., 1941-06-28

had changed from the original
Dixie land style and had settled
down to an unintere1ting, polite
style. Ellington's indigo blues and
torrid tempos opened up a new
horizon.
MILLS SIGNS HIM
Irving Mills. one of the biggest
music executives downtown at the
time. was SO impressed with the
possibilities of this new band of
hrownskir music makers that he
placed Ellington under iocntEact,
and aided him in charging his
combination to IL men He made
them available for recordings.
Mood INDIGO" Black and Tan
Fantasv." "The Jungle Band,
THE Washingtonianf. The Hsr-
lem Footwarmers'. The Harlem
Music Masters Joe Tuners
Memphis Men Sonny Greer'S
Memphis Men and The Whoopee
Makers all Ellington. were so SEN
tational on records for smaller
companies that three of the larger
Companie7 began to battle tooth
and nail to issue Ellington discs.
Irving Mills. also seeing eyploita-
tion possibilities in the Harlem
Cotton club brought Duke uptown,
.'1ln q Columbia wire into the club.
and son the ernine trade of Park
Avenue was rubbing elbows night
ly at the place with Broadway.
Duke Ellington became a musical
ser1ation. Maurice Chevalier. the
French star. making his first ap-
pearance on an American siaPe at
the Fulton Theatre. selected Duke
to snare billing with him, and oc"
cupy the stage alone the entire
first half of the concert. Florenz
Ziegfield. tho Glorious Flo, used
Ellington rhythms in "Show Girl
Radio pictures picked Duke and
his band to provide the musical
accompaniment for the Amos N
Andy movie, Check and Double
Check. and "Ring Dem Bells
was born.
DUKE A GENIUS
Starting with 'Mood Indigo"
and BLACK and Tan Fantasy
Duke Ellington's contributions to
music have been extra tordinary
His Sophisticated Lady must pe
mentioned also in the group OF
his greatest hits. Duke Ellington
ton mas freed American popular
music from the text. Hi; COM
positions consist Of two types, the
stronfly rhythmed dance bass, on
the Mood Indigo" order. Some
times the two are combined for
great effectiveness.
As musician, Duke Ellington
is a genius whose works will al
ways be PLAYED; he ranks with
Rudolf Friml. George Gershwln,
Victor Herbert, as q music i'm
mortal.
AS a man and a leader, Duke is
in a class by himself In spite OF
his phenomenal personal success,
he is friendly and unasSuming
never too busy to talk to even
complete strangers. 1 won't forge
the day soon after I came to New
York when he met me backstage
at the Apollo theatre. I had been
introduced to him about six years
previously. but as he had met
hundreds of people since then, l
hardly expected him to remember
me. Surprisingly, he stopped me
extended his hand, and said;
Hello. there. Minneapolis! How
long have you been in the Big
Town." Duke, bless him, not only
remembered me, but where he had
met mel
BELOVED BY MEN
He's like that. His men would go
incidentally. they're grand buncn
TO hades and back for him. And,
Of fellows Sam Nanton, Sonny
Greer. Fred Guy. Otto HardwlcK
were with Dukes original band at
the Kentucky Club Art Whetael
who was also with the Kentucky
club combination. died much toe
Young and with too much ahead OF
him. but the boys haven't for
gotten him
Born Edward Kennedy Ellington
in Washington, D. c., and tagged
with the nickname of Duke" ir
high school. Ellington was soda
clerk at the "Poddle Dog, where
he sat in for the regular piano
player when the latter took on 6
heavy load of fire-water anc
couldn't make the Job. Duke play
ed by ear, rather than by ipstruc'
ticn. and So when the arrange
ment Of the piano players Duke
used to listen to became too in
volved for his unirstructed ears
he. began to improvise.
Oliver Perry heard Duke one
day, and was so impressed he en-
couraged him to study. also givins
him personal instruction. Russell
Wooding gave him a job. on the
condition that Duke would stick tt
legitimate piano and not go in foI
Ellington musical shinaneganS
Duke stuck to legitimate piano al
through one concert rt,-most. Bu
as the music paused he put in ;
strictly Ellington break, and Wood
ing fired him. Duke studied sCn'
more. went to Perry and got jol
directing on his bands. Tn 1928, h
joined Wilbur Sweatman's band
but left in two years to come t.
New York with five of his owl
men,