Atlantans can soon own a piece of jazz great Duke Ellington’s legacy.
More than 250 items once owned by the legendary big-band leader, composer and pianist over his decades-long career will be available at auction on Wednesday (May 18) online and at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
The items, owned by a nephew of Ellington's who currently lives in Maine, will be auctioned by Guernsey's auctioneers and brokers, in celebration of the bandleader's influence on 20th-century pop culture.
» PHOTOS: See some of the items up for auction here.
“Ellington is one of those names that will endure through the decades and the centuries,” said Guernsey’s President Arlan Ettinger. “Many musicians who top the charts now will be forgotten in five or 10 years.”
Not Edward Kennedy Ellington, known as Duke.
The auction grew out of a long relationship between Ettinger and Ellington’s nephew that dates back about 30 years. Ettinger said he went for a long time without knowing his friend was Ellington’s nephew, a fact revealed only a couple of years ago.
“He had this substantial collection” of personal Ellington items. Some items were on display. Most were in storage.
“As is often the case, that’s when you start thinking about what good are things when they are packed away when many people can revel in them,” Ettinger said. “Sooner or later, bad things can happen to things that are stored away. Climate conditions can have a negative effect, there are accidents like fire,” which can damage or destroy the property.
The hope is that some of the items will be acquired by museums, where they will be enjoyed by the public, or go to a collector who values his uncle’s legacy.
Auction items include:
- Ellington's baby grand piano. In the 1920s, during the heyday of the Cotton Club and just as Ellington's star began to rise, he bought this piano — manufactured by Kramer — and had it delivered to his home at 381 Edgecombe Ave. in Harlem. He used the piano extensively through the late 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, one of the most creative and productive periods of his life. During this time, he composed "Sophisticated Lady," "Mood Indigo" and "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing."
- Thirty or so handwritten compositions to some of the most famous songs of the 20th century.
- Paintings. Many people don't realize Ellington was also a talented painter. One that is up for sale is called "Satin Doll." "He was a pretty sophisticated artist when he wasn't writing music," Ettinger said.
- Gold Bohemia dinner plates: When formally entertaining, Ellington would use these 24-karat gold Bohemia plates. These vintage porcelain plates were some of the finest crafted in Czechoslovakia.
- Ellington's scores, touring programs and personal artifacts are jewels "for anyone who wants to better understand the history of jazz in America," said Dwight Andrews, an associate professor of music at Emory University and a jazz saxophonist. "He performed all the time. He was always on the road, so he collected everything, so someone is going to have a rich collection of materials to better understand his place in music."
The scores alone are “unbelievable assets” because “you get a chance to learn how a particular piece evolved. I might have to jump in there myself,” Andrews said.
It’s almost impossible to determine how much the items may fetch.
Auctions are notoriously unpredictable. In this case, there are no preset minimum bids.
Dan Cavanagh, an associate professor of music and director of the music industry studies program at the University of Texas at Arlington, said while items like the paintings are interesting and probably great for a collector, the handwritten sheet music “is nothing short of a national treasure.”
“Those of us in the jazz world, but also outside, look at Duke Ellington as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American composer. I’m not a historian. I’m a composer and piano player, and I’ve long looked up to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, who was his composing partner.”
To bid online, go to Live Auctioneers (www.liveauctioneers.com) or Invaluable (www.invaluable.com).
Related:
Florida band wins Ellington competition
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