Which American jazz composer was also a pianist and a master of big band?
Duke Ellington, born April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C., was an American pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time.
Which American jazz composer was also a pianist?
Duke Ellington, byname of Edward Kennedy Ellington, (born April 29, 1899, Washington, D.C., U.S.—died May 24, 1974, New York, N.Y.), American pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time.
What jazz style was played mainly by big bands?
Swing
Swing was hugely popular – in fact, it was the pop music of the 1930’s. It was mostly performed by Big Bands, which were large orchestras divided into trumpets, saxophones, trombones, and a rhythm section (which consisted of the drums, bass, guitar and piano).
What jazz composer and pianist of the Swing Big Band era recorded the song Take the A train?
Perhaps Ellington’s most famous jazz tune was “Take the A Train,” which was composed by Billy Strayhorn and recorded for commercial purposes on February 15, 1941.
Who is the greatest jazz composer?
Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, is considered by many to be the most significant of all jazz composers, with some even ranking him as America’s all-time greatest songwriter, regardless of genre.
Who is the best jazz composer?
The 10 best jazz musicians
- Charles Mingus 1922-79. Most people know Mingus as a pioneering bass player, but to me he’s the most raucous and inventive composer of his era.
- John Coltrane 1926-67.
- Mary Lou Williams 1910-81.
- Herbie Hancock 1940-
- Nat King Cole 1919-65.
- Miles Davis 1926-91.
- Keith Jarrett 1945-
- Kurt Elling 1967-
Who was the best jazz pianist of the 30’S?
It’s often overlooked that Washington, DC-born Edward Kennedy Ellington was a tremendous jazz pianist with his own inimitable style. That’s because Ellington earned greater fame as a popular bandleader and composer during the big band swing era of the 30s.
Who was the first composer of orchestral jazz?
Orchestral jazz is a jazz genre that developed in New York City in the 1920s. Early innovators of the genre, such as Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington, include some of the most highly regarded musicians, composers, and arrangers in all of jazz history.
Who was the most important composer of the swing era?
Considered one of the most important composers in American music, Duke Ellington rose to fame during the swing era by performing weekly at New York’s Cotton Club.
Why was orchestral jazz different from southern jazz?
Orchestral jazz was musically distinct from its southern predecessor for a variety of reasons: not only were the bands bigger, creating a certain richness of sound, but also the music was structurally more sophisticated.