Autographs of Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Music critic Ralph J. Gleason called him "America's most important composer".
Born and raised 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 Club in Harlem. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become standards. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz.
At the end of the 1930s, Ellington began a nearly thirty-five-year collaboration with composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn, whom he called his writing and arranging companion. With Strayhorn, he composed multiple extended compositions, or suites, as well as many short pieces. For a few years at the beginning of Strayhorn's involvement, Ellington's orchestra featured bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, and reached what many claim to be a creative peak for the group. Some years later, following a low-profile period, an appearance by Ellington and his orchestra at the Newport Jazz Festival in July 1956 led to a major revival and regular world tours. Ellington recorded for most American record companies of his era, performed in and scored several films, and composed a handful of stage musicals.
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Current items with a signature of Duke Ellington
These are the most current items with a signature of Duke Ellington that were listed on eBay and on other online stores - click here for more items.
Traded items with a signature of Duke Ellington
The most expensive item with a signature of Duke Ellington (Duke Ellington - Signed Autograph - 1967 UK Concert Tour Programme - COA) was sold in May 2025 for £377.34 while the cheapest item (William Grant Still /Duke Ellington Suite From The River Signed Cd) found a new owner for £0.99 in October 2019. The month with the most items sold (8) was September 2025 with an average selling price of £25.07 for an autographed item of Duke Ellington. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in May 2025 with £186.44 and the month that saw the lowest prices with £0.99 was May 2014. In average, an autographed item from Duke Ellington is worth £27.38.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Duke Ellington were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
