Music Is My Mistress

"Music is my mistress, and she plays second fiddle to no one." Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington is an American jazz legend – a talented pianist, a composer of over 1,000 songs, and a bandleader who gained national attention through his orchestra’s appearances at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem. In this book, Ellington tells the stories of his life and career. He describes growing up in Washington, D.C. in the early 1900s, when he dreamed of playing baseball, not the piano. He shares photographs of his beloved parents and other family members and friends who influenced him. Well known for his musical collaborations, Ellington reflects on the many musicians he knew and worked with – including Billy Strayhorn, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Dizzy Gillespie – and the many places he visited while touring. This entertaining and very personal book provides a glimpse into the mind and experiences of a musical genius who is well represented in Smithsonian collections.