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Duke Ellington PDF
Duke Ellington PDF
Duke Ellington PDF
Duke Ellington
by Andrea Davis Pickney
You ever hear of the jazz-playin man, Years later, on a steamy summer
the man with the cats who could swing with night, Duke heard that umpy-dump played a
his band? He was born in 1899, in whole new way. Folks called the music
Washington, D.C. Born Edward Kennedy ragtimepiano that turned umpy-dump into
Ellington. But wherever young Edward a soul-rousing romp.
went, he said, Hey, call me Duke. The ragtime music set Dukes fingers
Dukes name fit him rightly. He was a to wiggling. Soon he was back at the piano,
smooth-talkin, slick-steppin, piano-playin trying to plunk out his own ragtime rhythm.
kid. But his piano playing wasnt always as One-and-two-and-one-and-two . . . At first,
breezy as his stride. When Dukes mother, this was the only crude tinkling Duke knew.
Daisy, and his father, J. E., enrolled him in 7 But with practice, all Dukes fingers
piano lessons, Duke didnt want to go. rode the piano keys. Duke started to play
Baseball was Dukes idea of fun. But his his own made-up melodies. Whole notes,
parents had other notions for their child. chords, sharps, and flats. Left-handed hops
Duke had to start with the piano and right-handed slides.
basics, his fingers playing the same tired Believe it, man. Duke taught himself
tuneone-and-two-and-one-and-two. Daisy to press on the pearlies like nobody else
and J. E. made Duke practice day after day. could. His one-and-two-umpy-dump became
To Duke, one-and-two wasnt music. a thing of the past. Now, playing the piano
He called it an umpy-dump sound that was was Dukes all-time love.
headed nowhere worth following. He quit his
lessons and kissed the piano a fast good-bye.
Duke Ellington from Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pickney. Copyright
1998, published by Hyperion Books for Children.
1. What is the purpose of the selection? 2. In the first and second paragraphs,
why is the final g left off many of the
A to solve problems words, as in jazz-playin man?
B to teach a skill A to make the selection sound more
like a poem
C to provide information
B to make the selection sound like
D to answer a question someone talking
D He practices a lot.
End of Set