By the end of his 75th year, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) had played perhaps 20,000 performances in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and, of course, the United States. "His music had reached tens of millions of people in person and via the mass media; he had made thousands of recordings; and most important of all, he had written several thousand compositions, the best of which are likely to resound through the ages." (John Edward Hasse).

This class will meet in two more sessions on Tuesdays, April 22, and 29, at 1 p.m. in the Community Room. The learning opportunity will provide a broad overview of this colossus of 20th century music. To quote Wynton Marsalis, Duke Ellington “Wrote music to accompany movies, television shows, ballets, Broadway shows…music to be played in gymnasiums, street parades, and charades. Wrote sacred music. Wrote music about the human experience; if it was experienced, he stylized it. In other words, Duke Ellington had a lot on his mind."

Please call UFM at (785) 539-8763 to enroll in this course.