In 1965, when he was 66 years old, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for music, but he was passed over. In his later career, he composed longer works such as Black, Brown and Beige (1943), a musical portrayal of African-American history. He said, “Playing ‘bop’ is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.” He went on to compose jazz standards like “Mood Indigo” (1930). He led his orchestra from 1923 to his death in 1974.Įllington thought of his band as a musical laboratory, and he experimented with many different styles, everything from swing to bop. Both of Ellington’s parents were pianists, and though he hoped as a child to become a baseball player, Ellington was destined to follow in their footsteps. Today is the birthday of American composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington, born on this day in Washington, D.C. He was gay, and wrote highly personal erotic poems that he chose to circulate only among friends. Though he is considered to be the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century, he worked in unpublished obscurity during his own lifetime. Cavafy spent his youth in England studying the works of Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. Cavafy, born today in Alexandria, Egypt (1863). “The Neighborhood So Far” by Ron Carlson from Room Service published by Red Hen Press.
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