I worked, toured, and recorded with Duke Ellington for the last two years of his life – a period that was the highlight of my career. In my memoirs, The Essence and Duke Ellington, I aim to convey the spirit within the heart of the jazz musician, particularly Duke Ellington. I want to show what drove him and other musicians, past and present, to play and compose this wonderful music. I also depict Duke Ellington's greatness as a human being, not as some super-human being, which he may well...

This book of short stories tells of experiences jazz musicians had during their lives, whether while living and playing in New York, traveling in the United States, or around the world so that people could hear their music and so the musician could make a living playing it. They tell about the problems Black musicians and a white musician had playing in a Black-led band and of the dues several Black musicians had to pay playing in a white-led band, especially when traveling in parts of the...

At the heart of these two stories is a deep love for jazz – the music that shapes lives, fuels dreams, and overcomes adversity. In 'You Can't Do That,' Louise, a young African American girl in 1940s Georgia, begins her musical journey with piano lessons. But when her father leaves, and money grows tight, her lessons come to an end. Years later, after moving with her mother and brother to Detroit, Louise's passion for music is reignited, especially when she discovers the transformative powe...

Some seeds are cursed from the moment they sprout; Johnny was one. Born to very nice, hard-working parents whose business began to grow rapidly almost immediately after he arrived, dealing with him only became more difficult. As Johnny grew, first through school and then into young manhood, he was constantly faced with obstacles that threatened to knock the bad seed out of him.