| Year |
Age |
Events |
Musical
Highlights |
| 1899
|
|
29apr Edward Kennedy Ellington born in Washington, D.C.
|
|
| 1900 |
1 |
22jan Juan Tizol born
|
|
| 1901 |
2 |
4aug Louis Armstrong born
|
|
| 1902 |
3 |
|
|
| 1903 |
4 |
3apr Bubber Miley born
|
|
| 1904 |
5 |
1feb Joe Nanton born
|
|
| 1905 |
6 |
10jul Ivie Anderson born
|
|
| 1906 |
7 |
3mar Barney Bigard born
25jul Johnny Hodges born
|
|
| 1907 |
8 |
Ellington takes piano lessons from Mrs Clinkscales
22feb Rex Stewart born
3aug Lawrence Brown born
|
|
| 1908 |
9 |
Ellington has job selling peanuts at Washington Senators baseball games
11aug Russell Procope born
|
|
| 1909 |
10 |
27mar Ben Webster born
|
|
| 1910 |
11 |
21feb Al Sears born
1apr Harry Carney born
|
|
| 1911 |
12 |
Ellington sneaks into the Gayety Theater to see burlesque shows
10jul Cootie Williams born
|
|
| 1912 |
13 |
Ellington frequents Frank Holliday's poolroom,
right next to the Howard Theatre
|
|
| 1913 |
14 |
Ellington begins high school (majoring in art), where he earns the
nickname Duke
Begins playing piano at the Poodle Dog Cafe and high school dances
10dec Ray Nance born
|
Poodle Dog Rag
Soda Fountain Rag
|
| 1914 |
15 |
|
What You Gonna Do When The Bed Breaks Down?
|
| 1915 |
16 |
16aug Al Hibbler born
29nov Billy Strayhorn born
|
|
| 1916 |
17 |
|
|
| 1917 |
18 |
Ellington leaves school to pursue music full time
25may Jimmy Hamilton born
|
|
| 1918 |
19 |
Ellington's first group, The Duke's Serenaders
Married Edna Thompson
25apr Ella Fitzgerald born
oct Jimmie Blanton born
|
|
| 1919 |
20 |
Ellington's ad appears in the D.C. telephone directory
11mar Mercer Ellington born
|
|
| 1920 |
21 |
12jul Paul Gonsalves born
14dec Clark Terry born
|
|
| 1921 |
22 |
Ellington plays for James P. Johnson
|
|
| 1922 |
23 |
30sep Oscar Pettiford born
|
|
| 1923 |
24 |
Ellington moves to New York, plays at the Exclusive Club
and then the Hollywood Club
Bubber Miley added
|
|
| 1924 |
25 |
|
|
| 1925 |
26 |
Hollywood Club changes name to Kentucky Club
7jan Sam Woodyard born
27mar Harold Ashby born
|
12nov Louis Armstrong records the first of the Hot Fives
|
| 1926 |
27 |
Joe Nanton added
|
29nov East St Louis Toodle-oo
|
| 1927 |
28 |
Cotton Club engagement begins in December
& features national radio broadcasts every week
Harry Carney & Wellman Braud added
20aug Joya Sherrill born
|
7apr Black And Tan Fantasy [Brunswick]
26oct Black And Tan Fantasy [Victor]
26oct Creole Love Call [Adelaide Hall, vocal]
|
| 1928 |
29 |
Cotton Club engagement continues
Barney Bigard & Johnny Hodges added
|
26mar Jubilee Stomp
26mar Black Beauty [Victor]
1oct Black Beauty [Ellington piano solo] [Okeh]
1oct The Mooche [Baby Cox, vocal] [Okeh]
30oct The Mooche [Victor]
|
| 1929 |
30 |
Cotton Club engagement continues
Juan Tizol added
|
16jan Flaming Youth
16jan Saturday Night Function
1mar Paducah
7mar The Dicty Glide
14nov Breakfast Dance
14nov Jazz Lips
20nov Lazy Duke
|
| 1930 |
31 |
Cotton Club engagement continues
Mood Indigo propels Ellington to international fame
Check And Double Check [film]
|
20aug Ring Dem Bells [Cootie Williams, vocal]
20aug Old Man Blues
17oct Mood Indigo [Dreamy Blues]
|
| 1931 |
32 |
Cotton Club engagement ends in January
Ivie Anderson added
|
8jan Rockin' In Rhythm
11jun Creole Rhapsody Parts 1-2
16jun Echoes Of The Jungle
|
| 1932 |
33 |
Lawrence Brown added
|
2feb It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) [Ivie
Anderson, vocal]
11feb St Louis Blues [Bing Crosby, vocal]
22dec Diga Diga Doo [The Mills Brothers, vocal]
|
| 1933 |
34 |
First European Tour
|
16may Sophisticated Lady
4dec Dear Old Southland [Louis Bacon, vocal]
4dec Daybreak Express
|
| 1934 |
35 |
Symphony In Black [film]
|
9jan Delta Serenade
10jan Solitude
dec Symphony In Black [Billie Holiday, vocal] [film]
|
| 1935 |
36 |
27may Ellington's mother dies
|
30apr In A Sentimental Mood
12sep Reminiscing In Tempo Parts 1-4
|
| 1936 |
37 |
Small group sessions begin
|
27feb Echoes Of Harlem (Cootie's Concerto)
27feb Clarinet Lament (Barney's Concerto)
16dec Lazy Man's Shuffle (RS)
19dec Clouds In My Heart (BB)
19dec Caravan (BB)
19dec Stompy Jones (BB)
|
| 1937 |
38 |
|
8mar Downtown Uproar (CW)
8mar Diga Diga Doo (CW)
8mar Blue Reverie (CW)
14may Caravan
14may Azure
7jul The Back Room Romp (A Contrapuntal Stomp) (RS)
|
| 1938 |
39 |
Billy Strayhorn added
|
13jan Prologue To Black And Tan Fantasy
13jan The New Black And Tan Fantasy
28mar Jeep's Blues (JH)
22jun Pyramid (JH)
1aug Jitterbug's Lullaby (JH)
9aug Prelude To A Kiss
19dec Battle Of Swing
22dec Blue Light (Transbluency)
|
| 1939 |
40 |
Jimmie Blanton added
|
20mar Subtle Lament
6jun Serenade To Sweden
28aug The Sergeant Was Shy
16oct Killin' Myself [Ivie Anderson & Billy Strayhorn, vocal]
|
| 1940 |
41 |
Ben Webster added
Exclusive contract with Victor
Ellington-Blanton duets
Ellington recorded live at Fargo, N.D.
Cootie Williams leaves
|
15feb Dry Long So [Cootie Williams, vocal]
6mar Jack The Bear
6mar Ko-Ko
15mar Concerto For Cootie
4may Cotton Tail
28may Dusk
22jul Harlem Air Shaft
22jul All Too Soon
5sep In A Mellotone
1oct Pitter Panther Patter [Duke Ellington, piano; Jimmie Blanton,
bass]
17oct Warm Valley
28oct Across The Track Blues
2nov Day Dream (JH)
2nov Mobile Bay (RS)
2nov Linger Awhile (RS)
7nov Sepia Panorama [live in Fargo, North Dakota]
7nov Stardust [live in Fargo, North Dakota]
28dec Flamingo [Herb Jeffries, vocal]
|
| 1941 |
42 |
Small group sessions end
Jump For Joy [musical]
|
15feb Take The "A" Train
15feb Jumpin' Punkins
15feb Blue Serge
26jun I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good [Ivie Anderson, vocal]
2jul Jump For Joy [Herb Jeffries, vocal]
2jul Jump For Joy [Ivie Anderson, vocal]
3jul Passion Flower (JH)
3jul Squaty Roo (JH)
3jul Things Ain't What They Used To Be (JH)
3jul Subtle Slough (RS)
3jul Menelik The Lion Of Judah (RS)
2dec Chelsea Bridge
|
| 1942 |
43 |
Recording ban begins in August
|
21jan The C-Jam Blues
21jan Moon Mist
26jun Main Stem
|
| 1943 |
44 |
Recording ban continues
First Carnegie Hall Concert
|
23jan Black, Brown & Beige [live at Carnegie Hall]
|
| 1944 |
45 |
Recording ban ends in November
|
1dec I'm Beginning To See The Light [Joya Sherrill, vocal]
|
| 1945 |
46 |
The Duke Ellington Treasury Series begins |
4jan Carnegie Blues
24jul The Perfume Suite [Al Hibbler, vocal]
|
| 1946 |
47 |
Ellington switches to Musicraft
|
4jan A Tonal Group [live at Carnegie Hall]
9jul Transbluency (A Blue Fog You Can Almost See Through) [Kay
Davis, vocal]
17jul The Mooche
23oct Magenta Haze
25nov Happy-Go-Lucky Local Parts 1-2
|
| 1947 |
48 |
Ellington switches to Columbia
Ellington's first LP The Liberian Suite recorded
|
10nov Air Conditioned Jungle
18nov Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me [Al Hibbler, vocal]
20nov Don't Get Around Much Anymore [Al Hibbler, vocal]
22dec On A Turquoise Cloud [Dolores Parker, vocal]
30dec The Clothed Woman
The Liberian Suite (Columbia) 10" LP
|
| 1948 |
49 |
Second recording ban wipes out entire year
Concerts at Carnegie Hall & Cornell University
|
|
| 1949 |
50 |
Second recording ban ends in August
|
1sep Creole Love Call [Kay Davis, vocal]
1sep Snibor
|
| 1950 |
51 |
Paul Gonsalves added
|
Masterpieces By Ellington (Columbia)
|
| 1951 |
52 |
Johnny Hodges & Sonny Greer leave!
Willie Smith & Louis Bellson added
|
10may Monologue (Pretty And The Wolf)
Ellington Uptown (Columbia)
|
| 1952 |
53 |
|
Ellington Uptown In Hi Fi (Columbia)
Seattle Concert (RCA)
|
| 1953 |
54 |
Ellington switches to Capitol
|
Premiered By Ellington (Capitol)
The Duke Plays Ellington (Capitol) 10" LP
The Duke Plays Ellington (Capitol) 12" LP
|
| 1954 |
55 |
|
17jan Rockin' In Rhythm
17jan Happy-Go-Lucky Local
26apr Bunny Hop Mambo (??)
|
| 1955 |
56 |
Johnny Hodges returns!
The Duke Ellington Society founded in Washington, D.C.
|
Ellington '55 (Capitol)
Dance To The Duke (Capitol)
Ellington Showcase (Capitol)
|
| 1956 |
57 |
7jul Newport appearance revives Ellington's career
20aug Ellington on cover of Time magazine
Ellington returns to Columbia
|
Blue Rose (Columbia)
Historically Speaking The Duke (Bethlehem)
Duke Ellington Presents (Bethlehem)
Ellington At Newport (Columbia)
Duke Ellington And Buck Clayton At Newport (Columbia)
Ellington At Tanglewood Volumes 1-2 (Queen)
A Drum Is A Woman (Columbia)
|
| 1957 |
58 |
|
Such Sweet Thunder (Columbia)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book (Verve)
Ellington Indigos (Columbia)
|
| 1958 |
59 |
|
Black, Brown & Beige Featuring Mahalia Jackson (Columbia)
At The Bal Masque (Columbia)
The Cosmic Scene (Columbia)
Newport 1958 (Columbia)
Billy Strayhorn Live (Roulette)
|
| 1959 |
60 |
Anatomy Of A Murder [film]
|
Ellington Jazz Party (Columbia)
Back To Back (Verve)
Side By Side (Verve)
"The Queen's Suite" on The Ellington Suites (Pablo)
Anatomy Of A Murder (Columbia)
Newport Jazz Festival 1959 (Foxy)
Festival Session (Columbia)
Blues In Orbit (Columbia)
|
| 1960 |
61 |
Paris Blues [film]
|
The Nutcracker Suite (Columbia)
Piano In The Background (Columbia)
Peer Gynt Suite (Columbia)
The Unknown Session (Columbia)
|
| 1961 |
62 |
|
Piano In The Foreground (Columbia)
Louis Armstrong And Duke Ellington - The Beautiful Americans
(Roulette)
Paris Blues (United Artists)
Battle Royale - Duke Ellington & Count Basie (Columbia)
|
| 1962 |
63 |
Cootie Williams returns
|
All American In Jazz (Columbia)
A Midnight In Paris (Columbia)
Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (Impulse)
Money Jungle with Charlie Mingus & Max Roach (United Artists)
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse)
|
| 1963 |
64 |
|
Will The Big Bands Ever Come Back? (Reprise)
Recollections Of The Big Band Era (Reprise)
Afro-Bossa (Reprise)
The Great Paris Concert (Atlantic)
Greatest Hits (Reprise)
Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session (Atlantic)
Serenade To Sweden with Alice Babs (Reprise)
My People (Contact)
|
| 1964 |
65 |
|
Mary Poppins (Reprise)
|
| 1965 |
66 |
|
Ellington '65 (Reprise)
Concert In The Virgin Islands (Reprise)
The Duke At Tanglewood with The Boston Pops (Victor)
Ella At Duke's Place (Verve)
Concert Of Sacred Music (Victor)
|
| 1966 |
67 |
|
Ellington '66 (Reprise)
The Popular Duke Ellington (Victor)
Duke Ellington At The Cote D'Azur (Verve)
Soul Call (Verve)
The Far East Suite (Victor)
|
| 1967 |
68 |
31may Billy Strayhorn dies
|
"...And His Mother Called Him Bill (Victor)
Duke Ellington - Frank Sinatra (Reprise)
|
| 1968 |
69 |
|
Yale Concert (Fantasy)
Second Sacred Concert (United Artists)
|
| 1969 |
70 |
29apr Presidential Medal of Freedom
|
70th Birthday Concert (United Artists)
|
| 1970 |
71 |
|
The Pianist (Fantasy)
Latin American Suite (Fantasy)
New Orleans Suite (Atlantic)
Orchestral Works with The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Decca)
|
| 1971 |
72 |
|
The Intimate Ellington (Pablo)
The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse (Fantasy)
The English Concert/Togo Brava Suite (United Artists)
|
| 1972 |
73 |
|
Up In Duke's Workshop (Pablo)
This One's For Blanton (Pablo)
|
| 1973 |
74 |
|
Duke's Big Four (Pablo)
Duke Ellington & Teresa Brewer (Columbia)
Third Sacred Concert (RCA Victor)
Eastbourne Performance (RCA Victor)
|
| 1974 |
75 |
25may Edward Kennedy Ellington dies in New York |
|
