The King of All, Sir Duke

the long version

"This book is both study and appreciation. It begins by recounting Ellington's life as well as his musical work, secular and sacred. A year after Ellington's death, Stevie Wonder's groundbreaking LP, Songs in the Key of Life, featured the well-known "Sir Duke" (Here are some of music's basic pioneers that time will not allow us to forget: There's Basie, Miller, Satchmo, and the king of all, Sir Duke!), as well as the Ellington-inspired "Contusion." But Stevie Wonder is just one of many who carry the legacy of Duke Ellington. Also profiled here are Steely Dan; drummer Butch Ballard; the incomparable Miles Davis - who even requested burial alongside Ellington, in New York's Woodlawn Cemetery; the flamboyant Sun Ra; the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, and the Godfather of Funk, George Clinton; Sly Stone; Frank "Kash" Waddy; Prince - who was described by Miles Davis as "The New Duke Ellington"; the grand master of rock's avant-garde, Frank Zappa; Ravi Shankar; Charles Mingus; and others.". "Woven throughout are interviews with the musicians who worked with Ellington as well as those who have devoted their lives to his memory. Several well-chosen photographs grace the text, visually reminding us that wherever people come together to express their spiritual beliefs through music, Duke Ellington will be there."--BOOK JACKET.