Scope and Contents

Interviews with musicians who performed with Ellington, producers and other business associates, Ellington scholars and fans, and family members documenting personal and musical relationships with Duke Ellington.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series.

Biographical / Historical

The collection was created by the Archives Center to provide research background about the Duke Ellington Orchestra. It complements a growing number of Archives Center collections related to Ellington and American music. The interviewees were asked about their own backgrounds, their personal and musical relationships with Duke, and their assessment of Ellington's strengths and weaknesses and his role in twentieth century American music. The discussions centered on five major themes including Ellington as a musician, the significance of race in Ellington's work and life, Ellington and the economics of the music business, Ellington as international cultural figure, and Ellington and the historical record. Recollections range from approximately the 1940s through the mid 1970s.

The thirty-nine Interviews were conducted by oral historian Marcia Greenlee and former Duke Ellington publicist Patricia Willard with former Ellington music and business associates.

Related Materials

Annual International Conference of the Duke Ellington Study Group Proceedings (AC0385)

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240)

Duke Ellington Collection (AC0301)

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection (AC0704)

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415)

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422)

New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection (AC0390)

William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music (AC0406)

Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection (AC0491)