Duke Ellington by Andrew Davis Pinkney

    Travel back in time to an era of "swanky" hangouts, swing "gigs", and "sitting pretty at the Cotton" club!  Andew Davis Pinkney tells the life story of famous musician Duke Ellington in a format that adults and children of all ages will enjoy.  The book begins with the line "You ever hear of the jazz-playin' man, the man with cats who could swing with his band?" and at once readers are transported back to the era of swing.  Pinkney's clever inclusion of the vernacular and dialect of the time period truly make the tale come to live and enable readers to feel as though they actually are listening to someone from the past.
   Ellington was born with the name Edward, but decided on his own accord to have those around him call him "Duke" and the name stuck. Actually, his name was perfect for a "smooth-talkin-, slik-steppin' piano-playin' kid" like him.  As a child Duke was not fond of practicing piano and took a few years off from the instrument until he heard the "soul-rousing" ragtime tunes.  He transformed the monotonous etudes he'd once known into melodies of his own, and before long he was playing at country clubs and parties. Eventually, Duke formed a small band named the Washingtonians and toured across New York, until the landed a regular gig at the Cotton Club.  The book goes on to describe other members of Duke's band and how with the addition of more musicians, they transformation into what became known as Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.         
    Adding to the period-appropriate dialect and terms, illustrator  Brian Pinkney helps the story come alive through his beautiful brush stroke illustrations.  I particularly loved the illustration with Sonny Greer playing a "subway beat on his bass drum".  From the bass drum there is a string of music that evolves into picture of a subway.  In this illustration Pinkney presents a literal representation of the text with colorful, bold painting.  Another personal favorite illustration is on the page describing how "Duke painted colors with his band's sound".  I love how each of the instrumental groups has a particular color, the swirls of paint representing the musical notes coming from the horns.     
    Tucked within the tale are numerous similies and metaphors, making the text a wonderful tool for teaching children about the use of these literary devices.  Hardly a page goes by without a creative comparison.  Duke's music is cleverly compared to a food item, "Duke's Creole Love Call was spicier than a pot of jambalaya".  On the other hand, one of his band members' music is described as a kite tail, "Toby let loose on his sleek brass sax, curling his notes like a kite tail in the wind". 
    Though Pinkney's inclusion of dialect and terms from the era of swing makes for an enjoyable story, both to read and listen to, the tale should be accompanied by a a bit of vocabulary instruction.  Have you ever heard the word "pomade" or perhaps "cabaret"?  If not you'll want to click on the words to find out and be sure to give students the definitions while reading the text aloud.
     Hope you enjoy this trip back in time!  Perhaps you'll even want add a word like "swanky" to your vernacular.