Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899. In honor of his birthday and his amazing contribution to American music, as well as his long friendship with Tony Bennett, the Year of Tony Bennett celebrates Duke Ellington Week from April 28 through May 4, 2013.

In addition to featuring songs written by Duke Ellington as our songs of the day, we’ll also be studying Ellington’s career as a composer, band leader, pianist and humanitarian.

We call your attention to the official Duke Ellington website at www.dukeellington.com. The  site is maintained by the Estates of Mercer K. Ellington and Edward K. “Duke” Ellington. The current executor is Paul Ellington, grandson of Duke Ellington. This website contains a rich selection of audio and video clips, a photo gallery and much more.

The Year of Tony Bennett is proud to honor one of America’s greatest composers.

To get us started, let’s look at this 1929 film:  Black and Tan Fantasy with Duke Ellington and Arthur Whetsol on trumpet.