Duke Ellington Unit

Pre-Test

1. List standard jazz band instrumentation.

2. Listen to the Duke Ellington song selection “Such Sweet Thunder”. Write
down what instruments, if any, differ from standard jazz band
instrumentation.

3. List the form of “Such Sweet Thunder”.

4. Describe the context for which this piece was written.

5. Identify whether “Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry” composition is an original

work or arrangement.

6. Explain what an arrangement of an original composition is.

7. Identify the decade in which this song was written.

8. List 3 major political events for the decade.

9. List 3 major musical artists of the decade

10.Describe any unique features of the composition.

Duke Ellington Unit
Pre-Test/Answer key

1. List standard jazz band instrumentation.

Five saxophones (2 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone), 4-5 trumpets, 4-5

trombones, drum set, piano, guitar, bass, and vibes.

2. Listen to the Duke Ellington song selection “Such Sweet Thunder”. Write
down what instruments, if any, differ from standard jazz band
instrumentation.

No instruments are used that differ from standard jazz band instrumentation.

3. List the form of “Such Sweet Thunder”.

Melody part A – Melody part B – Solo Section – Melody part A

Can also be written as: A – B – Solo Section - A

4. Describe the context for which this piece was written.

This piece was dedicated to the Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario.

The composition of this piece is heavily influenced by the writing of William
Shakespeare. For example, in Act IV, Scene I, of a Midsummer Night’ Dream,
appears the lines:

“I never heard so musical discord, such sweet thunder”

5. Identify whether “Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry” composition is an original

work or arrangement.

Dance of the Sugar Rum Cherry is an arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of

the Sugar Plum Fairy.

6. Explain what an arrangement of an original composition is.

An arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with

additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch.

7. Identify the decade in which the song “Come Sunday” was written.

Come Sunday was written in the 1950’s.

8. List 3 major political events for the decade.

 Korean War, Senator Joseph McCarthy begins hearings into the alleged
Communists in the army, and Alaska and Hawaii become the forty – ninth
and fiftieth states.

9. List 3 major musical artists of the decade

Sam Cooke, Little Richard, and Elvis

10.Describe any unique features of the composition “Come Sunday”.

This song features the vocalist Mahalia Jackson. In addition, the lyrics of this
song are phrased like a prayer. The main verse that is repeated in this song
is, “Lord, dear lord above, God almighty. God of love, Please look down and
see my people through.”

Tempo is very slow and is basically taken at the discretion of the vocalist.

Violin was used in this performance. The violin is not normally found in
standard jazz band instrumentation.

The vocalist hums an extra chorus of the main theme.

Duke Ellington
Post Test/Answer key

1. List the instrumentation for the song “Take the A Train”.

Four trumpets, three trombones, four saxophones, two clarinets, drum set,
piano, and bass

2. Is the instrumentation in “Take the A Train” the same as standard jazz band
instrumentation?

The instrumentation differs in that there is no guitar, only three trombones,

and clarinets are used in this piece.

3. Does the song “Take the A Train” utilize standard form for a jazz
composition?

Yes

4. Label each section of the song “Take the A Train” (ex. Melody, solo section,
secondary melody, bridge, introduction, and conclusion).

Piano solo introduction – Melody A – Solo section – Melody part B - Conclusion

5. Describe the context for which the song “Such Sweet Thunder” was written.

This piece was dedicated to the Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario.

The composition of this piece is heavily influenced by the writing of William
Shakespeare. For example, in Act IV, Scene I, of a Midsummer Night’ Dream,
appears the lines:

“I never heard so musical discord, such sweet thunder”

6. Is this the first time a jazz artist composed a song for the context listed in
question #5?

This is the first time a song has been written using the works of William
Shakespeare as a guiding influence.

7. Name the original song that served as inspiration for the arrangement “Sugar
Rum Cherry”.

Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

8. Compare and contrast “Sugar Rum Cherry” with the song listed in question
#5.

Can have various answers concerning tempo, instrumentation, similar

melodies, time signature, texture, tone quality, and style.
9. List the decade in which the song “Come Sunday” was written.

Come Sunday was written in the 1950’s

Essay

10.On a separate piece of paper, please describe the major political events,
social attitudes, economic factors, and major musical/arts influences of the
decade. Describe how these events may have impacted the writing of this
composition.

Answers may vary.

Duke Ellington
Post Test

1. List the instrumentation for the song “Take the A Train”.

2. Is the instrumentation in “Take the A Train” the same as standard jazz band
instrumentation?

3. Write down the form for the song “Take the A Train”

4. Label each section of the song “Take the A Train” (ex. Melody, solo section,
secondary melody, bridge, introduction, and conclusion).

5. Describe the context for which the song “Such Sweet Thunder” was written.

6. Is this the first time a jazz artist composed a score for the context listed in
question #3?

7. Name the original song that served as inspiration for the arrangement “Sugar
Rum Cherry”.

8. Compare and contrast “Sugar Rum Cherry” with the song listed in question
#5.

9. List the decade in which the song “Come Sunday” was written.

Essay
 10.On a separate piece of paper, please describe the major political events,
social attitudes, economic factors, and major musical/arts influences of the
decade. Describe how these events may have impacted the writing of this
composition.

Music Example Materials Needed

For this project the following recordings need to be purchased either by individual
song or these songs can be purchased on CD format. Songs from the Duke
Ellington library needed:

Such Sweet Thunder

Take the A Train
Sugar Rum Cherry
Come Sunday

In addition, a song from the Nutcracker suite by Tchaikovsky will be needed. This
song is:

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

If the school district wants to purchase these songs on compact disc format, the
following recordings are recommended:

Sugar Rum Cherry

Duke Ellington – Three Suites, Columbia Records, code number CK 46825
Come Sunday
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, featuring Mahalia Jackson – Black, Brown,
and Beige
Columbia/Legacy Records, code number CK 65566
Such Sweet Thunder
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – Such Sweet Thunder, Columbia/Legacy
Records,
Code number CK 65568
Take the A Train
Ellington – Complete at Newport (2CD), Columbia/Legacy Records,
Code number C2K 64932
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra – Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker
Favorite Selections,
Telarc records, UPC #089408067426
Duke Ellington
Student Worksheet

Instructions: Please fill out this worksheet for every song example.

1. List the instrumentation

2. Describe how the instrumentation of this song differs, if at all, to standard

jazz band instrumentation.

3. Write down the form and label each section (Melody A, Melody B, Bridge, Solo
Section, Conclusion, Introduction)

4. Describe the context for which this song was written

5. Is this the first time a song has been composed for this context?

6. Is this song an original composition or an arrangement of another song?

7. If this song is an arrangement of another song, write down the name of the
original song and compare and contrast the original to the arrangement.
 8. List the decade in which this song was written. (For this section, you do not
have to duplicate answers. If some songs share the same decade you only
have to write the information once).

9. Write down 3 major political events that happened during this era.

10.Write down 3 major performing artists of the era.

Duke Ellington
Example page

Song listened to: Jeep’s Blues

1. List standard jazz band instrumentation.

Five saxophones (2 altos, 2 tenors, one baritone), 4-5 trombones, 4-5

trumpets, drum set, guitar, bass, vibes.

2. Write down what instruments, if any, differ from standard jazz band
instrumentation.

Instrumentation does not differ from standard jazz band instrumentation.

3. List the form.

Melody A – Solo Section – Melody A – Solo Section – Melody A – Solo Section -

Conclusion

4. Describe the context for which this piece was written.

This song was written to feature the alto sax player Johnny Hodges.

5. Identify whether composition is an original work or arrangement.

Jeep’s Blues is an original work.

6. Explain what an arrangement of an original composition is.

An arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with

additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch.

7. Identify the decade in which this song was written.

Example – 1980’s

8. List 3 major political events for the decade.

 Ronald Reagan was president
The Berlin wall came down
Fall of the Soviet Union

9. List 3 major musical artists of the decade

Michael Jackson Prince

Madonna Whitney Houston
U2

10.Describe any unique features of the composition.

This song does not feature typical form for a jazz band composition. There is
only one main melody and the rest of the song is used as a solo feature for the
alto saxophone player Johnny Hodges.