July 2, 2014. Harper, Texas. The Duke.

It took me a long time to complete this book, perhaps because the Duke is not an attractive character, but I always enjoy reading of success, so when all was said and done, I enjoyed reading Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, even though it took me a long time to get to the end. The book was written by Terry Teachout, who is the drama critic of The Wall Street Journal. He also just received a Bradley Award, given for contribution to the arts of the world, which comes with $350,000. Duke was an amazing man. You already knew this before you started reading the book. He had been well known for his music my whole life, but this book sets him apart. He worked until he died, writing music, playing the piano and leading his band. And he was not a wealthy man when he died. Early success is one thing but he had at least four different periods when it appeared his popularity was over, only to have the Duke rise above all the critics and become an even bigger star. I just wished I had a sound track of the music being described as the pieces were being written and recorded by Duke Ellington and his band. It would have been wonderful to hear all those recordings. It is a book worth reading.