Duke Ellington : his life in jazz with 21 activities /

This large-format book combines an illustrated biography of  Duke Ellington with activities designed to offer insights into Ellington's era and his music. The main text presents Ellington's life in a straightforward account, concentrating on his career as a jazz musician, composer, and band leader. Meanwhile, the many sidebars discuss related topics such as turn-of-the-twentieth-century music technology (piano rolls and phonographs) and the U.S. State Department's jazz ambassadors program during the Cold War. Appearing throughout the book, the activities mentioned in the subtitle vary from Learn to Read Drum Notation to Make Corn Bread for a Rent Party to Write Lyrics to an Ellington Tune. Some activities are illustrated with drawings of young children, an odd choice that might put off readers in their teens. The many black-and-white excellent photos show up well on the glossy pages. Appendixes include bibliographies and lists of recommended recordings, films, and Web sites. An informative account in an attractive paperback format.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

Gr 4-8-Preceded by a time line of personal and public events, this biography begins with a brief discussion of the lives of Ellington's parents and his childhood introduction to music and instruments. As each chapter introduces separate highlights of the man's life and musical growth, sidebar articles emphasize historical milestones in music (the Harlem Renaissance, Jazz Pioneers, Tin Pan Alley, etc.) and the impact of individuals or events on his life. The book also features 21 interactive activities, each of which is positioned to provide a greater understanding of an instrument, performance, or music theory in jazz style (e.g., writing the blues, an improvisation exercise, illustrating sheet music covers, or dancing the Lindy Hop). Illustrations and the boxed information break up the text-heavy pages while the activities range from those suiting younger readers (experimenting with sound effects, making a shaker) to the more complicated (learning to read drum notation). This account of Ellington's life story reveals his late introduction to music as a career possibility and lightly touches on his personal relationships and lack of education. Illustrations include performance photographs and portraits of notable names from the Big Band era. Bibliographic references, recommended recordings and films, and annotated Web sites complete this thorough look at Ellington's musical life and legacy.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Stein Crease delivers a closely written biography bespeaking her Ellington scholarship. Journeying with the great jazz pianist from Washington, D.C., to hardworking beginnings in the nascent, highly competitive New York jazz scene, to international stardom with his increasingly big bands, readers learn much about Ellington's musical education, band personnel and the social and cultural upheavals spanning his long career. Captioned period photographssome candid, others from promotional materialsdecorate the text, and frequent sidebars highlight awards, movies, the big band era, jazz contemporaries and more. Though Stein Crease writes smoothly, she occasionally veers from clear reportage to a discordant "Hey, kids!" tone, as if remembering her child audience: "Can you imagine a future world with no TV or movies? Amazingly, the two most popular forms of American entertainment of the 1800s, minstrel shows and vaudeville, don't exist anymore and are unfamiliar terms to many people." The 21 activitiesde rigueur for this publisher's seriesvary in appeal and seem developmentally miscued to the sophistication of the text. Right book, wrong package. (bibliography, recommended films, recordings and websites, index) (Biography. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.