His name was Edward Kennedy Ellington, but people just called him “Duke.” Born in 1899, he was the forerunner in the evolution of jazz. By the time Duke was nineteen he was playing at parties, pool halls, and cabarets, and then in 1927 he entertained at the hottest place around, The Cotton Club in Harlem. But the defining moment of his career came when Duke and his orchestra gave a ground breaking performance at Carnegie Hall, where they first performed his suite “Black, Brown, and Beige,” a tribute to the history of African-American people. Beloved by jazz fans old and new, Duke Ellington, the “King of the Keys,” is a legend that continues to live on and influence musicians everywhere.

Andrea Davis Pinkney is a children’s book editor and author. She has collaborated with her husband, Brian Pinkney, on several award-winning picture books, including Alvin Ailey. She and Brian live in New York with their children.

Brian Pinkney is an extremely talented illustrator whose books have won such prestigious honors as The Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, a Caldecott Honor, and two Coretta Scott King Honors.