Ray Charles performs at The Newport Jazz Festival in 1968. Newport Festivals Foundation hide caption
Duke Ellington Duke Ellington artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music
Duke Ellington
Rafiq Bhatia's recreation of standards uses what we've heard before to ask "What haven't we heard yet?" and challenges us to ask "Why not?" John Klukas/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
On 'Standards Vol. 1,' Rafiq Bhatia Questions The Act Of Reinterpretation
Bruce Springsteen in 1985, performing in Washington, D.C. during his Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Chuck Berry in the Chess Records recording studio. The New York Times reports that originals of Berry's Chess catalog were burned in the 2008 Universal fire. Gilles Petard/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption
From Chuck Berry To Tupac Shakur: Taking Stock Of The 2008 Universal Fire
Following her conversion to Catholicism, pianist Mary Lou Williams began to compose and record religious music. William Gottlieb/Library of Congress hide caption
Duke Ellington composed "Afrique" as part of The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, a suite informed by his numerous world tours. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Afrique (Take 3, Vocal)
Soprano Jessye Norman leaves the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York on Thursday after taping the Late Show with David Letterman. Ray Tamarra/WireImage hide caption
Karen Marie Richardson (right) plays the title role in the Long Beach Opera's staging of Queenie Pie, the jazz opera Duke Ellington left unfinished when he died in 1974. Bryan Frank/Long Beach Opera hide caption
Duke Ellington's Lost Opera, Forever A Work In Progress
Duke Ellington signs his biography in London in 1958, with Billy Strayhorn in the background. Ellington and Strayhorn collaborated to create 1960's The Nutcracker Suite. Reg Davis/Getty Images hide caption
From Duke's 'Nutcracker' To A Cynical Carol, Jazz For Christmas
Duke Ellington, looking dapper in 1958. Evening Standard/Getty Images hide caption
Conductor JoAnn Falletta. Cheryl Gorski/courtesy of the artist hide caption
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) at the piano at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon, during a British tour on Feb. 10, 1963. John Pratt/Getty Images hide caption
'My Ellington': A Pianist Gives Duke Her Personal Touch
Duke Ellington rehearses for a 1973 concert in London's Westminster Abbey. Central Press/Getty Images hide caption
Duke Ellington's compositions present a timeless contribution to American music's legacy. Victor Drees//Evening Standard/Getty Images hide caption
A sampling of one listener's cherished classical Christmas albums from a few years back. Mito Habe-Evans/NPR hide caption
Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music. David Redfern/Redferns hide caption
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Brandon Doran via Flickr
In 1926, everyone did the Charleston on ice. Scherl/Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/The Image Works hide caption
Got your burger ready? stu_spivak via Flickr hide caption
Branford Marsalis (left) and Joey Calderazzo. Stephen Sheffield/Marsalis Music hide caption
Cootie Williams of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. William Gottlieb/Library of Congress via Flickr hide caption