alks with himself seem to snap Duke out of his depression. As things began to look up for him, Duke composed a new song called "Reminiscing in Tempo". Critics did not look upon the song favorably, but it did seem to sum everything up that was written by Ellington from 1931 to 1939 in a combination of gladness, sadness, triumph, and tragedy. Irving Mills formed his own record company in 1936, that boomed with popularity as the demand for big bands playing this new swing music was in intense demand. By 1956, however, the chasm between mere existence and prosperity had overtaken Ellington. He saw the popular outdoor jazz fest (in its third year) as a means to redeem his reputation with fans, critics, journalists, and Columbia Records, with whom he had signed a new 5-year contract just the week before. By the 1960’s Duke traveled the globe so many times that he become known as the unofficial ambassador to the United States. Duke’s band had played in Russia, Japan, Latin America, the Far East, the Middle East, and Africa. Ellington had previously written music for film and television and continued to do so, earning an Academy Award nomination for the score to Paris Blues in 1961. By 1972, the times and styles of the world no longer fit the old time style of Duke’s band. This was the turning point in the fall of the band's career. Duke Ellington’s career spanned the whole history of the birth of the music called jazz. Nowhere in that glorious history is there a man who had more love for music, more respect for his art, than the man they called the Duke. Duke Ellington is America's most prolific composer of the 20th century, in both number of pieces (almost 2,000) and variety of forms. His artistic development and sustained achievement are among the most spectacular in the history of music. His, was a distinctly democratic vision of music, in the service of the whole band's sound, and mo...
