A review by mjanemartin
Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington by Terry Teachout

3.0

I eagerly awaited this book. It's very well written and meticulously researched. No fault with the author. But I was looking for more "Life" of Duke Ellington...his life, his feelings, what motivated him etc...I would say this is more of a musician's book. There's lots of "he changed this from a B flat to a..." and he signed so-and-so to his band on April 6...(I'm making these examples up but they are indicative of the content). It's very factual and almost solely about the inner workings of his orchestra. In the author's defense, he states early on that Duke was a very private man and kept no journals, so very little is known about his private life. Musicians will love this book.