1899–1974 · American Composer, Bandleader & Pianist
Ellington composed from inside the orchestra, writing for specific voices and instruments rather than abstract notes on a page. His songs carry that same particularity: Mood Indigo feels smoky and midnight-blue, In a Sentimental Mood glows with yearning, and Sophisticated Lady floats above the everyday. To sing Ellington is to inhabit a world of extraordinary emotional specificity.
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington is one of the towering figures in American music — a composer, bandleader, and pianist who led his orchestra for nearly fifty years and composed over a thousand works spanning jazz, classical, film, and sacred music. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1899, Ellington made his name at Harlem's Cotton Club in the late 1920s, developing a distinctive sound — dubbed "jungle music" by promoters — that was actually one of the most sophisticated orchestral languages in American history. His collaborations with Billy Strayhorn produced some of the most beautiful songs ever written.
This workshop gathers thirteen of Ellington's most compelling vocal pieces, from the brooding introspection of In My Solitude and All Too Soon to the quiet swing of In a Mellow Tone and Just Squeeze Me. Singers will encounter a wide range of moods and tempos, with chord movements that reward harmonic awareness and melodies that always feel inevitable, even when they surprise.
Ellington wrote for Ivie Anderson, Adelaide Hall, and Herb Jeffries — singers with distinct personalities — and that specificity of voice is what makes his songs so rewarding for performers willing to bring their own character to the material.
Each song includes lead sheet and lyric sheet in both a men's and women's key, plus a practice backing track. In addition, there are YouTube links to a variety of artist renditions to inspire you.