A major new biography of Duke Ellington from the acclaimed author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong   Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was the greatest jazz composer of the twentieth century—and an impenetrably enigmatic personality whom no one, not even his closest friends, claimed to understand. The grandson of a slave, he dropped out of high school to become one of the world’s most famous musicians, a showman of incomparable suavity who was as comfortable in Carnegie Hall as in the nightclubs where he honed his style. He wrote some fifteen hundred compositions, many of which, like “Mood Indigo” and “Sophisticated Lady,” remain beloved standards, and he sought inspiration in an endless string of transient lovers, concealing his inner self behind a smiling mask of flowery language and ironic charm.   As the biographer of Louis Armstrong, Terry Teachout is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the public and private lives of Duke Ellington. A semi-finalist for the National Book Award,  Duke peels away countless layers of Ellington’s evasion and public deception to tell the unvarnished truth about the creative genius who inspired Miles Davis to say, “All the musicians should get together one certain day and get down on their knees and thank Duke.” Praise for DUKE "Compelling narrative flow...poised impartiality. . . .Teachout writes in an earthbound style marked by sound scholarship and easy readability. . . . DUKE humanizes a man whom history has kept on a pedestal.” – The New York Times Book Review “A thorough and fascinating portrait.” –USA Today   "[a] grand and engrossing biography...Thanks to this frank and sympathetic biography--whose every page is studded with sharp phrases and keen insights--we now seem to know Duke Ellington as well as we ever will or need to." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Teachout adroitly chronicles how Ellington coaxed from his ensemble such timeless hits as "Mood Indigo." And he adeptly evokes the personalities of the ducal band..." -- The Economist "an impressively lucid, compact narrative" --The Boston Globe   “A thoroughly researched homage…Teachout delivers a Duke unlike any we’ve seen in previous biographies…At last, Teachout affirms that music was Ellington’s greatest mistress – and to her, the composer was unrelentingly loyal.” –Essence Magazine   “Swinging.” –Elle Magazine   “This well-researched biography is sure to appeal to longtime jazz fans who revel in their memories of Ellington's work and others who may want to learn more about his fascinating life.” –Associated Press   “Mr Teachout adroitly chronicles how Ellington coaxed from his ensemble such timeless hits as ‘Mood Indigo’. . . . evokes the personalities of the ducal band.” –The Economist   “Descriptively rich, the book is not so much a scholarly tome as it is a delightful and entertaining read. Teachout writes with clarity and verve, presenting an astonishing amount of detail in a flowing narrative that brings to life not just Ellington and his music, but much of American culture of the period.” –National Review   “[A] grand and engrossing biography…Thanks to this frank and sympathetic biography - whose every page is studded with sharp phrases and keen insights - we now seem to know Duke Ellington as well as we ever will or need to.” –San Francisco Chronicle   “Teachout's exhaustive mining of archives, including a number of unpublished memoirs of some of the principals in his story, gives the musical history in Duke an impressive heft.”  –The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   “By penetrating behind the curtain, this author has delivered a book that even those who think they know Ellington will need to read.” –Dallas Morning News   "Teachout does a commendable job of contextualizing Ellington's career."  –Austin Chronicle   “The definitive Ellington biography thus far…valuable…[one of] the most important books of 2013.” –The Buffalo News   “Teachout captures the breadth of [Duke’s] life… with verve and insight.” –The Huffington Post    “Teachout’s book, as in the case of his earlier one on Armstrong, is the masterwork.”  – Jazz Journal  "Dimensional, thoughtful, and rigorously researched, Duke is an enthralling read from cover to cover." –BrainPickings.org “Teachout…bring[s] a worthy level of scholarship to the telling of the notoriously secretive Ellington’s life.” –The Virginia Quarterly Review (Online)   “With this exhaustive, engaging study of the greatest jazz composer of his era, Wall Street Journal drama critic Teachout solidifies his place as one of America's great music biographers.”  – Kirkus, Starred Review   “Comprehensive and well-researched…important….[an] entertaining and valuable biography.” – Booklist, Starred Review   “Teachout gives much insight into Ellington's life, personality, working habits, and compositions. This work should appeal to Ellington enthusiasts as well as casual jazz fans.” – Library Journa l   “Revealing…Teachout neatly ba