Happy Birthday, Duke

"Jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with."

Duke Ellington

The great bandleader, pianist and composer Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899. He wrote over 3,000 songs in his lifetime, including my favorite,  It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Although I never really understood the meaning until I picked up a ukulele and tried to strum and tap my foot at the same time.  Ha

Duke Ellington was born Edward Kennedy.  His mother taught him something that is rare these days: perfect manners.  His elegant demeanor and debonair style later earned him the nickname Duke.

Most people didn't know he was also a man of big appetites, and always concerned about how he looked on stage (he wore a corset.) His relationship with food was intense and complex.

Duke, who is always worrying about keeping his weight down, may announce that he intends to have nothing but Shredded Wheat and black tea. . . . Duke’s resolution about not overeating frequently collapses at this point. When it does, he orders a steak, and after finishing it he engages in another moral struggle for about five minutes. Then he really begins to eat. He has another steak, smothered in onions, a double portion of fried potatoes, a salad, a bowl of sliced tomatoes, a giant lobster and melted butter, coffee, and an Ellington dessert — perhaps a combination of pie, cake, ice cream, custard, pastry, jello, fruit, and cheese. His appetite really whetted, he may order ham and eggs, a half-dozen pancakes, waffles and syrup, and some hot biscuits. Then, determined to get back on his diet, he will finish, as he began, with Shredded Wheat and black tea.

From "Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington" by Terry Teachout