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Duke Ellington’s Cat 
By Jon Ludwig 2007-08 Family Series Recommended for ages 4 to 104! In the News! Good Day Atlanta’s Road Warrior, Mark Hyman, visited the set of Duke Ellington’s Cat to tell Atlanta about this amazing new show. Check out the segments here! This lyrical look at the life and times of one of America’s jazz icons is set right in the middle of a career that spanned from the Roaring Twenties through the Civil Rights Movement. Going on the road with the great Duke Ellington is one cool cat. From the early days in the pool halls to the concert halls performing before crowned heads, this feisty feline has been there at Duke’s side, sometimes even sitting in with the band. But, not everything is in rhythm on the day that Duke is to play a suite in honor of the Queen of England and the score has been stolen! Will his cat find the music and get it to the Duke in time? This is a great introduction to jazz and American History for all ages. Who is Duke Ellington and why should you know about him? “In music Duke Ellington is to America what Beethoven is to Europe. He raised our social consciousness through his dignity and elegance and his pride in his Afro-American heritage long before that was fashionable. He taught America Civil Rights, not through confrontation, but through the love and deep respect in his music. Although his dozen or so popular songs were known to every American in the 30's and 40's (and are still played the world over every day), it was his compositions and arrangements and the sound of his band that more than anyone else in music told us all what it meant and felt to be an American. When President Nixon presented him with the Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a civilian in our country, he said, "In the royalty of American music, no one stands higher or swings more than the Duke.” – Duke Ellington authority, David Berger Why is learning about jazz important? By the end of the 1920’s America had not yet defined itself or separated its cultural identity from European influences. Though Blues, Ragtime and Gospel had a degree of popularity it was not until the three were combined that Americans had a genre of music to call their own. While Jazz was played and popularized by many luminaries of The Harlem Renaissance, few had the impact of Duke Ellington. Having little formal training, Duke Ellington possessed a spontaneous, innovative and charismatic style, putting him at the forefront of jazz; a truly American art form that has always been an inspiration to each generation’s most talented artists. Songs by Duke Ellington: Mood Indigo Take the “A” Train Caravan It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) Don’t Get Around Much Anymore Cotton Tail Daybreak Express Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue Satin Doll Sophisticated Lady East St. Louis Toodle-oo Rockin’ in Rhythm Listen & learn more here: http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_ellington_duke.htm Don’t miss these great ways to work Duke Ellington into your lesson plans, courtesy of PBS! http://pbskids.org/jazz/lesson/index.html Get More Information on Duke Ellington from the Center’s study guides: Duke Ellington's Cat Study Guide (Pre-K - Grade 5) Duke Ellington's Cat Study Guide (Grades 6-12) Georgia Performance Standards for Duke Ellington's Cat : Kindergarten | 1st Grade | 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 6th Grade Quick links: Information on Group Rates & Field Trips Group Rates for Schools & Educational Facilities Group Rates for Non-Educational Groups 
Duke Ellington's Cat co-sponsored by:  2007-08 Season sponsored in part by: 
2007-08 Family Series co-sponsored by:   Back
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Center for Puppetry Arts | 1404 Spring St. NW at 18th | Atlanta, GA 30309-2820 USA Ticket Sales: 404.873.3391 | Administrative: 404.873.3089 | Facsimile: 404.873.9907 Copyright © Center for Puppetry Arts, 2005. |
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