Duke Ellington
American, 1899 - 1974
Duke's first acting appearance is noted as the short film "Black and Tan" (1929), which also starred actress Fredi Washington, who portrayed a dying Club dancer.
By the 1940s, Duke and his orchestra worked on a range of projects in a number of venues, including the short film "Symphony in Black" (1935), a Broadway production of Duke's musical "Beggar's Holiday" (1946), and "Black, Brown and Beige" (1943) at Carnegie Hall.
In addition to his numerous recordings, other film credits include "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959) for which he created a film score, and "Paris Blues" (1965).
In his later years, Duke performed a series of "Sacred Concerts", fusing Christian music with jazz, and continued to record music through 1972.
Duke Ellington passed away on May 24, 1974 in New York City.
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