Duke Ellington
April 29, 1899 · 127 years old
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton…
Known For
5 titles
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Jazz and decolonization are entwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Patrice Lumu...
Murder at the Vanities
A homicide detective with an eye for the ladies, investigating a murder in Earl Carroll's Vanities, allows the music revue to continue during the investigation.
Belle of the Nineties
Ruby Carter, the American Beauty queen of the night club-sporting world, shifts her operations from St. Louis to New Orleans, mostly to get away from prizefighter Tiger Kid. Installed as the prize attraction of "The Sensation Club...
The Apollo
The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.
Moments Without Proper Names
The life and career of photographer, writer, director, and composer Gordon Parks.