After the end of World War II, Big Bands went out of fashion and finances were tight. Duke Ellington continued to keep his band together by financing the group with royalties from his music. He did what he had to do to go forward.

After the end of World War II, Big Bands went out of fashion and finances were tight. Duke Ellington continued to keep his band together by financing the group with royalties from his music. He did what he had to do to go forward.

Duke Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader who was born in Washington, D.C. in 1899. He faced many challenges throughout his life, including racism and financial difficulties, but he persevered and became one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. In the early 1940s, Ellington composed several masterworks, including “Concerto for Cootie,” “Cotton Tail,” “Ko-Ko,” “Main Stem,” and “Harlem Air Shaft”. Despite facing competition from other big bands and struggling to find a “hot” tenor man, Ellington was able to create some of the best performed, most adventurously crafted, and emotionally serious work ever produced by a larger ensemble in jazz. Ellington’s success was also due to his ability to adapt to changing musical trends and his willingness to experiment with new sounds and styles. His music continues to inspire and influence musicians today. - (britannica.com; jazzwise.com; human.libretexts.org; fee.org)