Duke Ellington : The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

Enjoyed by readers of age: 9 to 12

Read the most by: boys and girls

You ever hear of the jazz playin' man, the man with the cats who could swing with his band?

His name was Duke. Duke Ellington. As a child, he said piano made an umpy-dump sound that was headed nowhere worth following. But, years later, he heard the piano played a whole new way. People called the music "ragtime", and soon the sound had Duke's fingers riding the piano keys.

Duke began to compose his own melodies, which led him to form a band, The Washingtonians. Before long, the group was performing at the swankiest hangouts in Harlem, including The Cotton Club, but under a new name: Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Soon the whole country swung to Duke's beat.

This is the story of one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century - the king of the keys - Duke Ellington.