Music Is My Mistress (English)

As remarkable for its subtle evasions and deflections as for its many insights into his character, Edward Kennedy Ellington's combination autobiography and appreciation of his colleagues, MUSIC IS MY MISTRESS, is a mixture of sentimental reminiscences, homespun philosophies, and casually brilliant treatises on musical technique. Like many autobiographies it avoids any lurking controversy by accentuating the positive. With a series of captivating prose sketches of jazz giants like Willie "The Lion" Smith, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra, Ellington reinforces his reputation as a jazz aristocrat, incidentally providing many glimpses of his early life as a struggling musician in Washington, DC, which contrasts mightily with his later stardom on the world stage. Many remarkable black-and-white photographs are also featured, with evocative shots from Ellington's early days in 1930s Hollywood and with his collaborator Billy Strayhorn, as well as of the various incarnations of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. A valuable glimpse inside the mind of an artist who remained a very private public figure all his life, MUSIC IS MY MISTRESS reveals only as much of this enigmatic musical genius as he's willing to show. minimize