LATER LIFE LEARNING Innis College University of Toronto 2 Sussex Avenue Toronto, ON M5S 1J5 Website: http://sites.utoronto.ca/innis/lll/ Email: [email protected] SERIES C: The Music of Duke Ellington in Nine Themes Fridays, 1:00 – 2:45 pm, September 20 to November 29, 2019 No class November 8, 2019 for Reading Week Innis College, Town Hall Lecturer: Jack Chambers Jack Chambers is professor at the University of Toronto. He is the author of the prize-winning biography Milestones: The Music and Times of Miles Davis (1998) and Bouncin’ with Bartok: The Incomplete Works of Richard Twardzik (2008). Recent articles include “Ellington’s Three Steps into The River” (2017), “Panther Patter: Ellington at the Piano” (2017) and “The Fifth Reed: Ben Webster and the Tenor Ascent” (2016). For texts and playlists of his annual presentations to the Duke Ellington Society, Toronto, go to <torontodukeellingtonsociety.com> and click on “Archives.” Overview: Composer/bandleader/pianist Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) produced some of the most enticing, provocative, and enjoyable music of the 20th century. But his legacy is so vast — almost 3,000 compositions comprising pop songs, dance tunes, soundtracks, revues, orchestral suites, ballets, symphonies, and more— that it is not always easy to find an entry-point into his music. We will get into it by pursuing nine themes that fascinated Ellington throughout his 50-year career. We will start with a musical overview of his character and personal style, and then in successive meetings delve into topics that stimulated his imagination and defined his musical style. Along the way we will celebrate Ellington’s musical encounters with the likes of Louis Armstrong, the American Ballet Theatre and William Shakespeare. Most important, we will pay homage to the whole range of Ellington’s genius from low to high, including gutbucket brass and absinthe ballads, jitterbugs and pas de deux, stride piano and indigo moods, and so much more. 1. September 20 Introduction to Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington Both the man and his music are fascinating. We will start by introducing the man through some of his musical landmarks. Because the legacy is so abundant-- almost 3000 compositions including songs, soundtracks, hymns, big-band jazz, ballets, tone poems, concert pieces-- gaining an entry into the music is greatly aided by tracing themes that Ellington pursued over several years and showing their development and variety. 2. September 27 Theme 1: Harlem, "the world's most glamorous atmosphere" We will sample some of the 17 songs/compositions Ellington devoted to Harlem, from the banal "Harlem River Quiver" to the pop song "Drop Me Off in Harlem" to the culmination of this theme in "A Tone Parallel to Harlem," a brilliant extended concerto. 3. October 4 Theme 2: Duke and the Plunger Mutes Trombones and trumpets gained surprising tonality when expertly played through homely toilet plungers. The earthy, vocalized sound became a signature element of many of Ellington's compositions, including several of his masterpieces such as "Concerto for Cootie" and "Sweet and Pungent."