To analyze the achievements and influence of Duke Ellington, I have selected 12 of his quotes.
“I’m sure critics have their purpose, and they’re supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what he did.”
This quote demonstrates Duke’s attitude to critics. For me, this quote allows to see Duke in another dimension: not as a musician but as a subject in the music business with its specific problems such as the contradiction between critics and musicians. Duke despised music critics for their habit to tell musicians what to play, and he took a stand against this.
“Love is indescribable and unconditional. I could tell you a thousand things that it is not, but not one that it is. Either you have it or you haven’t; there’s no proof of it.”
The selected quote allows to perceive Duke as an individual. It is known that love was much of an inspiration for Duke, and a lot of his songs are devoted to it. Duke described love as a feeling that cannot be described or measured; so is his music.
“By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.”
This passage brings up the reputation of jazz: back then, it was considered immoral and threatening for public morals. Duke by no means supported this view; however, in this quote, he ironically admits that the public is suspicious of jazz.
“The word [jazz] never lost its association with those New Orleans bordellos. In the 1920s I used to try to convince Fletcher Henderson that we ought to call what we were doing ‘Negro music’. But it’s too late for that now.”
To continue the reflections on the problem of the reputation of jazz, Duke proposes to replace the name “jazz” with “Negro music,” for the former is compromised (Hentoff par. 3). Nevertheless, his great achievements, along with those of his contemporaries, have changed the reputation of the word. Thanks to him, nowadays, the word “jazz” evokes mostly positive feelings.
“People do not retire. They are retired by others.”
This saying belongs to the 75-year-old Duke, who was asked about his retirement (“A Tribute to Duke Ellington 1899-1974” 44). This one is among the most inspirational Duke’s quotes. Being already a legend of his times, Duke did not stop working, traversing the barriers of age.
“There are two kinds of worries – those you can do something about and those you can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter.”
This quote adds to the inspired mood: having all his rich experience in music business, Duke shares his wisdom with others, and it does sound convincing.
“How can anyone expect to be understood unless he presents his thoughts with complete honesty? This situation is unfair because it asks too much of the world. In effect, we say, “I don’t dare show you what I am because I don’t trust you for a minute but please love me anyway because I so need you to. And, of course, if you don’t love me anyway, you’re a dirty dog, just as I suspected, so I was right in the first place.” Yet, every time God’s children have thrown away fear in pursuit of honesty-trying to communicate themselves, understood or not, miracles have happened.”
In the selected expression, Duke presents his thoughts on communication. He believed that all humans were inherently alone but were given the greatest gift – communication. The only necessary thing is to venture to be honest, and then miracles can be done. It is exactly what Duke was doing through his music – talking to people with complete honesty.
“In music, as you develop a theme or musical idea, there are many points at which directions must be decided, and at any time I was in the throes of debate with myself, harmonically or melodically, I would turn to Billy Strayhorn. We would talk, and then the whole world would come into focus. The steady hand of his good judgment pointed to the clear way that was fitting for us. He was not, as he was often referred to by many, my alter ego. Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head, and his in mine.”
These words are Ellington’s sincere tribute to his friend and collaborator, Billy Strayhorn. The two musicians have been working in close collaboration for thirty years, producing the pieces of world jazz classic, but Duke has been receiving credit for them as the more famous one. In this quote, Duke openly admits that the role of Strayhorn was no less than his own.
“My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.”
This expression can be considered Ellington’s motto. Fifty years of working in music were a life without satisfaction. Having already written numerous pieces, received multiple awards, and been recognized as a jazz legend, Duke never stopped until his death.
“On becoming more acquainted with the word of the Bible, I began to understand so much more of what I had been taught, and of what I had learned about life and about the people in mine.”
This quote shows Duke as a man of deep religious faith, which was a notable feature of many black artists of his time. Faith was an essential part of his art. He has composed three Sacred Concerts in his life, and it is known that he considered these works the most important.
“Put it this way: Jazz is a good barometer of freedom… In its beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of freedom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.”
This saying is especially interesting, for it demonstrates that Duke considered jazz one of the outcomes of the emergence of America’s freedom ideal. Despite the moralists’ distrust to jazz, Duke believed it do be a significant component of American freedom.
“What is music to you? What would you be without music? Music is everything. Nature is music (cicadas in the tropical night). The sea is music, the wind is music. The rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Music is the oldest entity. The scope of music is immense and infinite. It is the ‘esperanto’ of the world.”
This quote allows to comprehend what Duke thought of music as such. Not only does he consider nature an infinite “musician,” but he also believes that music is a universal language for people of the world. If it is so, then Duke was a global ambassador.
In his professional life, Duke Ellington was active as both a composer and performer. To my opinion, it is not only hard but also senseless to separate these roles from one another and define Duke as either a performer or composer. Having worked out something innovative, unusual, unheard of as a composer, he immediately brought it to life as a performer. As I am convinced, this fact is an essential component of his popularity, as well as it is among the reasons, for which Duke was able to achieve such a success as a jazz musician and be remembered and revered for decades after his death.
Many jazz musicians of those times have become famous and are known as jazz legend nowadays. However, Duke Ellington has a special place among other musicians and composers, having earned global admiration and respect. Aside from writing great music and being an active, candid, honest person, Duke has brought jazz up to a higher level, making it more sophisticated and organized. He has introduced new combinations of instruments, creating more energetic compositions than those common for jazzmen before him, thus influencing other musicians.
Ellington has synthesized various elements of music such as ragtime, blues, European music, etc. These innovations allowed him to write jazz music for a variety of settings: nightclub, ballroom, theater, cathedral, concert hall, and cinema (“Duke Ellington,” par. 2). Thanks to Duke Ellington, jazz has emerged from a chaotic music direction to a serious, complicated music style.
Works Cited
“A Tribute to Duke Ellington 1899-1974.” Ebony Sept. 1974: 43-45. Print.
Duke Ellington. n.d. Web.
Hentoff, Nat. “Duke Ellington’s Mission.” Jazztimes 1999. Jazztimes. Web.