A Conversation about Duke Ellington and Washington, DC
From: National Endowment for the Arts
Series: Art Works Podcast
Length: 08:41
This is part two of our look at art in the neighborhoods of Washington DC. Last week, our focus was the U Street Corridor with its arts-driven revitalization. Today, we turn our attention to one of U Street's most famous sons, Duke Ellington. Simply put, Duke Ellington one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th Century, He might have achieved national fame when his orchestra became the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club in the 1920s, but Duke Ellington's musical roots are deeply tied to his hometown of Washington, DC. Claudia Roth Pierpont is a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine. Her recent long review of Duke Ellington was called "Black, Brown, and Beige."
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
This is part two of our look at art in the neighborhoods of Washington DC. Last week, our focus was the U Street Corridor with its arts-driven revitalization. Today, we turn our attention to one of U Street's most famous sons, Duke Ellington. Simply put, Duke Ellington one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th Century, He might have achieved national fame when his orchestra became the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club in the 1920s, but Duke Ellington's musical roots are deeply tied to his hometown of Washington, DC. Claudia Roth Pierpont is a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine. Her recent long review of Duke Ellington was called "Black, Brown, and Beige."
Transcript
Transcript of podcast on Duke Ellington
Music - "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing," performed by Duke Ellington and his famous Orchestra
Jo Reed: That's "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing," performed by Duke Ellington and his famous Orchestra. Welcome to Art Works, the program that goes behind the scenes with some of the nation's great artists to explore how art works; I'm your host, Josephine Reed. This is part two of our look at art in the neighborhoods of Washington DC. Last week, our focus was the U Street Corridor with its arts-driven revitalization. Today, we turn our attention to one of U Street's most famous sons, Duke Ellington. Simply put, Duke Ellington one of the most important and influential musicians of the 20th Century, He might have achieved national fame when his orchestra became the house band at Harlem's Cotton Club in the 1920s,...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It Don't Mean a Thing (if it Ain't Got that Swing) | Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra | Sophisticated Lady. | Sony Music Entertainment | 2007 | 00:00 |
Additional Credits
Interview conducted and edited by Jo Reed
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