Exhibitions

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: Jazz Composers and Their Signature Works

April 4, 2009 – June 28, 2009

National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC

2nd Floor, East Wing, Albert Small Documents Gallery

See on Map Floor Plan

Two of the greatest jazz composers were Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967). This exhibition examines two of their most ubiquitous pieces—"Caravan" (1936) composed by Ellington and Juan Tizol, and "Take the 'A' Train" (1941) composed by Strayhorn—through documents from the museum's Archives Center and related audio and video recordings.