Beyond Category: The Life And Genius Of Duke Ellington

"The analyses of both Ellington's music and his enigmatic personality are delineated with rare insight."—Leonard Feather, author of The Encyclopedia of Jazz


One of the twentieth century's greatest composers, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) led a fascinating life. Beyond Category, the first biography to draw on the vast Duke Ellington archives at the Smithsonian Institution, recounts his remarkable career: his childhood in Washington, D.C., and his musical apprenticeship in Harlem; his long engage...