"Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington and his music have been an integral part of the American scene for most of the 20th Century. This interpretive biography offers insights into Ellington's enduring appeal, not only as a composer and piano-playing leader of a jazz orchestra, but as a cultural icon.

Janna Tull Steed traces Ellington's journey from a protected childhood in Washington, D.C., through his early career as a jazzman in Harlem nightclubs to the presentation of his music in the world's grandest cathedrals in his last years."--BOOK JACKET.