بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Not too long ago, I was blessed to play some music by the Great Duke Ellington. Now, I am classically trained, but ALWAYS wanted to learn JAZZ. Even as a little girl. They started me when I was seven and our piano teacher would play little riffs in the music that wasn’t always a apart of the piece. So, I would make him teach me too.

I have read music by Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Schubert as well as many others, but this sheet music by Brother Ellington blew my mind. I still cannot believe it.

Anyway, I’m somewhat of a JAZZ CONNOISSEUR as well as HISTORIAN. So, when I came across the opportunity to read Brother Duke’s autobiography, I jumped at it!

Now, when I first started studying The Divine Supreme Wisdom Teachings of Our Beloved Messenger (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him) I used to be a little surprised at how he used to boast. I can’t think of anything in particular right now, probably because it turned out to be the Truth.

I remember one of my cousins remarking about how braggadocious my Zawji is too. I never noticed it, but he does talk a lot of sugar honey iced tea. 😉

But, DUKE! I mean he redefines conceit! I understand that it is his autobiography and he is afforded a certain amount of literary license. But Gotdamn! Perhaps, it’s because I’m also somewhat of a ghetto superstar, but I just can’t dig when people constantly toot their own horn!

I know fans and regular people like hearing all that syrupy stuff, but it just makes me nauseous.

Duke was popular and did the bulk of his major work during the “Big Band Era” of JAZZ. So, with the exception of a few, most of his bandmembers were largely nameless, even to me – a connoisseur.

But he dedicates a portion of each chapter to individuals with whom he has had the pleasure of working. The sundry band members suddenly have names and faces, personalities and LIVES (families, backgrounds, histories and hometowns…) He relates little anecdotes about each member and his book is really quite entertaining.

But, towards the middle, when he starts relating his associations with some of the better-known jazz artists, the little green monster starts rearing its ugly head. Yup. The Great Duke Ellington starts displaying signs of insecurity.

I had seen this huge full-page photo of my favorite Jazz singer of all time, Ms. Ella Fitzgerald, just thumbing through the book, and really could not wait to get to the part where he wrote about his experience with this phenomenal woman.

Her work with the Duke is my favorite out of her entire catalogue. I always say, the music is the most important part of any song. If the music isn’t right, the singer may as well go home. Ms. Ella has worked with a great number of distinguished arrangers, composers, bandleaders and musicians, but her work with the Duke is unequaled.

This is my favorite album

In any case, I noticed the picture, but had not gotten to that portion of the book yet.

So, before I got to Ella, I knew Duke had some issues with some of his more popular contemporaries. For instance, he grouped MILES DAVIS, JOHN COLTRANE AND DIZZY GILLESPIE in ONE section. Only devoting ONE paragraph to each Brother!!!! *Screaming at the top of my lungs*

Come on Ed! One paragraph for MILES DAVIS!!!! But Tony Bennett gets a whole page plus another paragraph?!?!?! PROBLEM!!!

Then, as if that’s not enough, he grouped Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong with his manager! I guess he knew that if he didn’t dilute Louis with somebody else, his brilliant luminosity would have shined through and overpowered and irreparably dimmed his own.

So then we get to Ella and he does the same thing.

He grouped her with one of her label execs. Talking about his relationship with the same label. Honestly, he talked more about some music he wrote for Ella than about Ella herself.

I had to stop reading. Duke loves devils. He measures his success based on the rank or social standing of the devils he services.

First, it was British royalty. Then he did a suite for some church. Now, he’s boasting about how the U.S. Government took him to the Middle East just to use him to gain friendship with their enemies (Muslim countries), who are the friends of the so-called American Negroes (Muslims by nature). But being blind, deaf, dumb and mentally dead to the Knowledge of Self, due to the poison put in him by his slavemasters, Brother Ed does not see that he is being used as a tool by his oppressors, the devil slavemasters.

He had never been to the Middle East in all of his years of travel abroad (from 1935 – 1963 when this trip took place). Now, all of a sudden, the federal government sends him on a diplomatic assignment to ten (10) or so Muslim countries.

If you thought this disagreement between the West (America & European devil countries) and Islamic states is new, you’ve got another think coming! Click here and educate yourself and your children too.

Duke admitted that they did more singing the praises of America and her allies than they did shows!

He even goes into great detail about how he defended his American slavemasters, when one of his Brothers from the Middle East criticized America for her treatment of her slaves. Blind. Deaf. Dumb and Mentally Dead. Shaking My Head.

Please Read MESSAGE TO THE BLACKMAN IN AMERICA by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (PBUH) and Wake Up. Unfortunately, it’s too late for Brother Duke, but you still have time. Use it wisely. Seek Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding with a hunger and thirst unequaled by any race of people in the history of the universe. We MUST increase our Intelligence, so that we may be qualified to rule the peoples of the Earth as we are destined to.