Don Ellis Biography
Donald Johnson Ellis, known as Don Ellis, was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, as well as arranger who made significant contributions to the globe of music during his profession. He was born upon July 25, 1934, in Los Angeles, The Golden State, United States, and also passed away on December 17, 1978, in North Hollywood, California, because of a cardiovascular disease.
Ellis grew up in a music family; his mother was a skilled pianist, as well as his dad was a Methodist priest as well as a songs lover. He began playing the trumpet at the age of 10 as well as later, at the age of 16, joined the high school band. It was during his time in the band that he cultivated an interest in jazz songs. Ellis took place to examine music at Boston University and later, the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
After completing his studies, Ellis signed up with the
Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956, which was being led by Ray McKinley during that time. He additionally played for the orchestras of Charlie Barnet,
Woody Herman, and also Maynard Ferguson. In the late 1950s, Don Ellis led little teams in various areas, consisting of Germany, where he was posted while serving in the United States Army. It was during his time in Germany that he created a rate of interest in Indian as well as Middle Eastern songs designs, which would later on influence his own musical creations.
In the early 1960s, Ellis began experimenting with unusual time signatures and also created an unique design of having fun. He developed the Don Ellis Orchestra in 1966, which was a combination of various musical designs and included electronic tools, such as magnified strings and also special strategies to brass and also percussion. The band's first album, "Electric Bath," launched in 1967, was a groundbreaking recording that showcased Ellis's innovative approach to structure as well as setup.
Throughout his career, Ellis collaborated with different musicians, consisting of saxophonist Charlie Mariano, percussionist Milcho Leviev, and composer Hank Levy. He usually used a custom-built four-valve trumpet, which enabled him to play microtonal music with greater simplicity.
Ellis also wrote scores for several films, consisting of "The French Connection" (1971) and also "The Seven-Ups" (1973). His deal with "The French Connection" earned him a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement in 1972. He continued to execute as well as videotape music with his orchestra till his unexpected death in 1978.
Don Ellis's influence can be heard in the music of numerous modern-day jazz artists, and his cutting-edge strategy to structure, arrangement, as well as instrumentation has left an enduring influence on the genre. He was a pioneer in the combination of different musical designs as well as was understood for his ruthless quest of brand-new noises as well as techniques. Today, Ellis is still commemorated for his groundbreaking payments to jazz and remembered as a visionary artist whose creativity recognized no bounds.
Our collection contains 6 quotes who is written / told by Don.
Related authors: Glenn Miller (Musician), Ron Carter (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Woody Herman (Musician)
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