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Mercer Ellington
Mercer Kennedy Ellington was an influential American musician, composer, and arranger, born on March 11, 1919, in Washington, D.C. He was the only child of the legendary Duke Ellington and Edna Thompson. Raised in Harlem, Mercer displayed musical talent from a young age, writing his first piece, "Pigeons and Peppers," by eighteen. He pursued formal music education at institutions including Columbia University, New York University, and the Juilliard School.

Mercer Ellington led his own bands at various times from 1939, fostering talents like Dizzy Gillespie and Charles Mingus. He contributed significantly to jazz standards with compositions such as "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and "Jumpin' Punkins." His career was marked by collaborations with his father, serving as a composer and later as a band member and manager. After Duke Ellington's death in 1974, Mercer took over the Duke Ellington Orchestra, leading it on international tours and maintaining its legacy.

In the early 1980s, Mercer became the first conductor for a Broadway musical of his father's work, "Sophisticated Ladies." His album "Digital Duke" won a Grammy Award in 1988. Mercer Ellington passed away on February 8, 1996, in Copenhagen, Denmark, leaving a lasting impact on the jazz world. His daughter, Mercedes Ellington, and his son, Paul Mercer Ellington, continued to uphold the Ellington musical legacy.
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The Early 40ies
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The Duke Ellington Anthology Vol. 28: 1943-1944
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Hop Skip And Jump!
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„Jazz Foundations „ Vol. 2 - Ben Webster
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Perdido - The Moods of Duke Ellington
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The Duke Ellington Library Vol. 33: 1947
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