Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra Reviews

• 
  Calista

  This has rhythm and soul. I love the voice of this story. It swings with that cool sweet tongue of hot jazz. The story of Duke’s life is scatted out on these pages. It feels alive and well. Duke was a popular dude and he was a shining example of a person of color making it in Carnegie Hall and beyond. He was a very respected musician on the world stage. I need to go and listen to some of his music. I admit that I don’t know him that well. I have heard his most popular tunes. He was a powerful musician.
  
  I think the art, the verse, the feel of this books does an amazing job getting this man’s life across. The dancing scenes jump off the page. You can feel the club beat. I love how the music is represented by colors on the page swirling right off it. This is a great story.
  
  The nephew loved the pictures and swirls. He was infected by the rhythm of the story. He liked it and gave this 4 stars. The niece didn’t know what this sounds like so her dad is going to find a few things for them to listen too. She enjoyed the story and gave this 3 stars.
• 
  Gerry

  The husband and wife duo of Andrea Davis Pinkney, text, and Brian Pinkney, illustrations, has produced a delightful book on the Duke, Duke Ellington that is.
  
  Born in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington said as a young boy, 'Hey, call me Duke'. And so they did - fittingly as it turned out. At the time he was a smooth talking, slick stepping, piano playing kid, which was something of a turnabout for when even younger when his folks wanted him to have piano lessons, he was more interested in playing baseball!
  
  His parents, however, were adamant, and Duke began with the piano basics and his parents made him practise every day (I know the feeling for I was a piano player as a youngster, that is until I discovered playing football and girls) and he disliked it so much that he described the one-and-two-and-one-and-two routine as an umpy-dump sound. Consequently he said goodbye to the piano. That is until he heard the piano played in an altogether different way and that music was called ragtime. He then thought it a soul-rousing romp.
  
  He therefore returned to the piano with serious intentions and developed his own ragtime rhythm. In due course his fingers rode the piano keys as he composed his own melodies. At age 19 he was entertaining at parties, pool halls, country clubs and cabarets and it was not long before he formed his own group, the Washingtonians. They performed in all kinds of New York honky-tonks, Barron's Exclusive, The Plantation, Ciro's and the Kentucky Club and audiences flocked to see the group play.
  
  His big break through came in 1927 when he was asked to play at the Cotton Club and an initial spot brought him a regular gig. The group grew to 12 musicians and their name was changed to Duke Ellington and His Orchestra and their music was broadcast over the radio. With such tunes as 'Creole Love Call' and 'Mood Indigo' the band's popularity soared.
  
  Duke was a big believer in allowing band members to improvise their solos and as a consequence, each instrument in the band had its own voice and style. Sonny Greer on drums and percussion, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton on the trombone, Otto "Toby" Hardwick on his sleek bass sax and James "Bubber" Miles on the trumpet all gave virtuoso performance while, of course, Duke slid his fingertips across the ivories. And all the while the Cotton Club clientele joined in as they danced such as the Black Bottom, the Fish-Tail and the Suzy-Q.
  
  In due course the whole country swung to Duke's beat and admirers hurried to the record stores to purchase their recordings. Then in 1939 Duke hired Billy Strayhorn, a musician and songwriter, and together they composed unforgettable music and 'Take the "A" Train' was one of the greatest hits of 1941.
  
  Most people called Duke's music jazz but Duke himself preferred to call it 'the music of my people' and he proved the truth of this statement when he introduced 'Black, Brown and Beige' at Carnegie Hall in 1943. It was a cold windy night outside but inside Carnegie Hall the applause was sizzlingly hot.
  
  By the time of his death on 24 May 1974 it was said that more than 800 musicians had appeared with his Orchestra and there is no doubt that his influence on the history of music is still present today.
  
  It is no surprise to learn that this delightful and most informative book was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1999 and that Brian Pinkney was an illustrator award winner for his illustrations in 'In the Time of the Drums' in 2000. The only thing that does surprise me is the note on the bottom of the dust wrapper blurb which states, 'Ages 5-9' - blimey, there must be some well educated children out there ... and as it suited me down to the ground, I never realised that I was still so young - at heart anyway!
• 
  Lisa Vegan

  It took me awhile to get used to the writing style but it never felt as though it wasn’t a perfect fit for the story. This is a terrific picture book biography about Duke Ellington’s life and music. The illustrations are wonderful; I particularly loved how the music coming out of the instruments is shown via pictures. If readers/listeners aren’t familiar with it, I highly recommend that Duke Ellington’s music be played as an accompaniment. Even 30 second long snippets from iTunes would enhance the reading/listening experience.
• 
  Luann

  This is fabulous! The words and the illustrations are as musical as Duke's own compositions, which are "smoother than a hairdo sleeked with pomade" and "spicier than a pot of jambalaya!" I would love to see a Reading Rainbow-type production of this book with snippets of Duke's actual music.
  
  I thought it was interesting that Duke didn't like piano when he was young. He thought it was boring "umpy-dump" music. When he was older, he heard ragtime for the first time and then taught himself to play his own ragtime music on the piano.
  
  Another favorite example of the musical text, speaking of one of Duke's Orchestra members: "Sonny Greer pounded out the bang of jump-rope feet on the street with his snare drum. A subway beat on his bass drum. A sassy ride on his cymbal. Sonny's percussion was smooth and steady. Sometimes only his drumsticks made the music, cracking out the rattly beat of wood slapping wood."
  
  This also contains an author's note giving further details of Duke Ellington's life. The illustrations are scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, goache, and oil paint. Now I need to go listen to some jazz or ragtime music!
• 
  Abigail

  Husband-and-wife team Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney turn to the story of the great Jazz musician and composer Duke Ellington in this picture-book biography, with very engaging results. Chronicling the life of an American legend, from his boyhood in early twentieth century Washington, D.C., when he rebelled against the piano lessons imposed by his parents - the sound of the music he was asked to practice led "nowhere worth following," in his view - through his discovery that this was an instrument that could be used in a variety of genres and styles, Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra follows its subject through the creation of his Jazz group (Duke Ellington and his Orchestra) and their ascent to fame, and concludes with the famous 1943 concert at Carnegie Hall, where the piece Black, Brown and Beige was introduced. An afterword provides additional information, as well as a list of sources.
  
  I enjoyed this brief introduction to the life of Duke Ellington, particularly as I know so little about him, and think that Brian Pinkney's lively illustrations - with their exuberant use of color and motion - were very deserving of the Caldecott Honor they received in 1999. I appreciated the fact that Ellington discovered he was wrong about the piano - that it could be used in other ways, and to express other styles - because I am someone who listens to a very eclectic mixture of music (everything from Tuvan throat singing to Schubert's lieder), and think that sometimes people fall into the trap of thinking that music can only sound a certain way, or that various styles are mutually exclusive. All in all, a very engaging book, one I recommend to young music lovers and/or biography readers, although I think my friend Lisa is right, that it would have benefited from the inclusion of some actual music (a CD, perhaps?).
• 
  Becky

  I loved this picture book biography of Duke Ellington. The illustrations were great--and I'm not alone in thinking that, the book was honored with a Caldecott Honor in 1999. The text was great too. The style was very original--smooth, jazzy, rhythmic. The facts were all there, yes, but they were dressed up nicely by the language, the words she chose to use to tell her story. She's a natural storyteller and it shows.
  
  Here's how it begins,
  
  You ever hear of the jazz-playin' man, the man with the cats who could swing with band? He was born in 1899, in Washington, D.C. Born Edward Kennedy Ellington. But wherever young Edward went, he said, "Hey, call me Duke." Duke's name fit him rightly. He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid...
  
  
  
  Here's another example,
  
  But with practice, all Duke's fingers rode the piano keys. Duke started to play his own made-up melodies. Whole notes, chords, sharps, and flats. Left-handed hops and right-handed slides. Believe it, man. Duke taught himself to press on the pearlies like nobody else could. His one-and-two-umpy-dump became a thing of the past. Now playing the piano was Duke's all-time love.
  
  
  
  Well-researched (she even shares her bibliography with readers) the book is a great example of an accessible, thoroughly readable biography meant to be read and enjoyed.
  
• 
  Davina Cuffee

  1. Junior Book-Biography
  
  2. This books details the musical life of Duke Ellington. This jazzy read takes you all the way back to his childhood and lets you know how he got started with piano and became “The Paino Prince.”
  
  3a. Illustrations; Language
  
  3b. The scratchboard technique used to create the illustrations were AMAZING! I know it took the illustrator a long time to do these pictures, and I think it was a great way to do illustrations for this biography because it gave an older feeling while keeping a fresh (clean) look. The language in the book was of the ragtime era; it was different and had coolness about it.
  
  3c. The cover of the book is the best part in my opinion. It actually looks like he’s playing the piano if you look at his hands! The illustrator made sure that the read had something to look at along with the words. Honestly, without the scratchboard pictures, it wouldn’t be as interesting to me. In the book, the narrator uses words like “cats” (referring to cool people), “breezy”, and “swankiest”. I think we should use these words nowadays!
  
  4. I would use this book with a fun musical activity. The students can use percussion instruments and march around the classroom to a Duke Ellington song!
  
• 
  CH_Emily Scholnik

  Reading level: Ages 4-8
  Hardcover: 32 pages
  Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1st edition (March 3, 1999)
  Language: English
  ISBN-10: 0786801786
  ISBN-13: 978-0786801787
  
  
  "He was a smooth-talkin', slick-steppin', piano-playin' kid," "writes master wordsmith Andrea Pinkney in the rhythmic, fluid, swinging prose of this excellent biography for early readers."
  
  Duke Ellington tells of a young boy and his rise to fame in a time of racism. He was a huge part of the "evolution" of Jazz music, which "originates from the musical traditions of African-American people." I think young students can picture themselves in Duke's shoes. He went out to reach for the stars and caught a big one! He had a talent and was a huge part of Harlem's Cotten Club history. He even performed at Carnegie Hall. Reading and discussing this biography with my students sets the stage that you can do whatever you want to do if you put your mind to it. The illustrations in this book are as rhythmic and fluid as the author's writing.
• 
  Beverly

  I liked the artwork, described as prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint. The illustrations are colorful, energetic, and I think depict the time period very well. I liked that he depicted the music as curlicues erupting from the various instruments. This is the same illustrator who did the artwork for
  The Faithful Friend.
• 
  Oona

  First book Wesley brought home from school...
• 
  Jenny

  Lovely and rich illustrations combined with the text to introduce children to Duke Ellington and his music.
• 
  Christine Kallner

  Lyrical text and bold artwork tell the story of Duke Ellington's life and music career in this biographical picture book.
• 
  Abby Johnson

  This picture book biography of jazz great Duke Ellington shines off the page with colorful, lively illustrations and bouncy text. Pair with Trombone Shorty and Skit-scat Raggedy Cat for a stellar jazz trio.
• 
  Cynthia Egbert

  One of my assigned readings for my children's literature class. It is a hip, fun look at the life of an incredible musician. It was bouncy and light and I enjoyed myself reading it.
• 
  Suzie

  Fantastic illustrations. Beautiful prose. My boys love their music and I think it was inspiring for them to read about a boy whose annoyance at his parents’ prodding to practice led him to such a groundbreaking and interesting life.
• 
  Dolly

  This book offers a fascinating look into the life of Duke Ellington.
  
  The biography provides lots of interesting details, without being overwhelming or boring and celebrates the artistry of this famous man and his orchestra.
  
  The illustrations, "prepared as scratchboard renderings with luma dyes, gouache, and oil paint", complement the story nicely. I really liked the lyrical, jazz-laced narrative and the flow of the story.
  
  Additional biographical information, along with sources for further insights into Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington's life, are included at the end of the book.
  
  After we read this book, we checked out a few videos of Duke Ellington and his orchestra so our girls could really get a feel for the music of the era and the timeless popularity of some of his songs. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
  
  This book was selected as one of the books for the
  February 2017- Caldecott Honors 1998-2002 discussion at the
  Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
  
  September 2017 update: I came across a free copy of this book in a book swap bin and just had to read it again. It is such an interesting story, and, I hope, one that will inspire young musicians.
  
  interesting quotes:
  
  "Duke's 'Creole Love Call' was spicier than a pot of jambalaya." (p. 12)
  
  "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind." (p. 19)
  
  "To stir up the sound of his low-moan horn, Bubbler turned out a growl from way down in his throat. His gutbucket tunes put a spell on the room." (p. 20)
  
  "Now you've heard of the jazz-playin' man.
  The man with the cats who could swing with his band. " (p. 29)
• 
  Volkert

  I just finished reading the Pinkney's "Duke Ellington" to a first grade class in our predominantly white rural school northeast of Seattle. Being trained as a musician, but now working as a librarian, I loved the way this text really swings. When I noticed much of the slang was going over the heads of the children, I'd ask them if they knew what certain words meant. Interestingly, the one African-American girl in the class was hip to most of the jive.
  
  Sure some of the terminology went right past these kids, but they got into the groove, which is carried along soulfully by the vibrant illustrations. Like another reviewer here, when I was done reading this to the kids, I wanted to hear "Take the 'A' Train." Fortunately I had a CD of "Duke Ellington's 16 Most Requested Songs" sitting in my library, so I popped it in, and these kids were a-hoppin' and a-boppin'.
  
  I think next time, I'll play the CD first. Hopefully, I'll be able to settle 'em down afterwards to hear this jazzy biography. (June 14, 2001.)
• 
  Katie Lanier

  This biography picture book about Duke Ellington’s life and music provides interesting details without being overwhelming or boring. I'm not surprised that this book was recognized as a Caldecott Honor book; the illustrations complement the rhythmic story in a vibrant and beautiful way. With this book containing complex sentences and slang words from a different time period, younger children may have a harder time understanding the content on their own. However, with help from an adult reading the story aloud, I think this book has the ability to facilitate some great conversations and knowledge. This book would be even better combined with a video or audio of Duke Ellington's music, allowing children to get a better feel for his music and for music of that time period. Overall, this book provides an excellent opportunity for children to learn about the life of a great musician in a fun and captivating way.
  
• 
  Melissa Marra

  The book, "Duke Ellington" by Andrea Davis Pinkney is best known by its Caldecott honor award. It's a great read for children from the ages first through fifth grade learning about music, specifically Jazz. The colorful illustrations explain Duke's life and how music influenced him from, when he was young, through his teenage years, to adulthood. I really enjoyed reading this book because it includes enough information to know who he is and the effect he had on people with his music. If I was doing a lesson on music in my class, this is one of the books I'd have available for the students to read.
• 
  Katie Fitzgerald

  I didn’t really have a strong reaction to this picture book biography. I don’t care very much for Brian Pinkney’s style even though I can recognize his talent, so the illustrations didn’t really do much for me. I do like the visual representations of music coming out of different instruments and the warm-tone color scheme used for the book, but the text feels awkward to me, especially in moments where it starts trying to sound more poetic.
• 
  Marilyn Showalter

  Biography
  3rd-5th grade reading level
  I really enjoyed reading this book because I had never heard about this man before and I enjoyed his story. The pictures were very well drawn, I loved the flowing look they had. This story kept my attention because the writing style was fun and at times it rhymed or contained uncommon words. I also liked that it included some diverse cultural topics that could be discussed in a classroom.
• 
  SamZ

  1999 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: The family sitting in the kitchen tuning in the radio with the swirls of color representing the music flowing above their heads.
  A fun introduction to the life and musical influence of Duke Ellington and his orchestra.
• 
  Robert Davis

  **** Caldecott Honor (1999) ****
  
  Very vibrant and colorful pictures highlight this biography of the famous "King of the Keys"
• 
  K M

  Thank you, William, for begging me to read this to you.
• 
  Taylor Rench

  This book focuses on Duke Ellington's life and his upcoming in the music industry. It starts off by telling the reader that, when he was younger, Duke was more interested in playing baseball than he was with playing the piano. When he was older, he heard a man playing the piano beautifully, and decided to take it back up. After he practiced, he became very talented at playing the piano and started to play in prestigious night clubs. He then starts a band that played all over Washington D.C. and then traveled to New York to play in Harlem, the home of Jazz. After meeting a man named Billy, who wrote songs for Duke and his Orchestra, they made it big and sold thousands of records across the country and was one of the few black artists to play at Carnegie Hall on January 23, 1943. This book could be utilized in the classroom for many things. You would be able to read it during Black History Month and talk about a famous African American that influenced music, you can use this book as an introduction to Jazz music, and you can also use this book to talk about different instruments that are used in an orchestra. This book features illustrations that are painted and also marked up with pencils or pens. The pictures help the reader to visualize what things and settings may have looked like back in the 1940's versus how they may look today. I would recommend this book to children around the ages of 12-14, because of the length of the book and the sentences.