Editing Duke Ellington (section)

===Early career===
Working as a freelance [[Sign painting|sign painter]] from 1917, Ellington began assembling groups to play for dances. In 1919, he met drummer [[Sonny Greer]] from New Jersey, who encouraged Ellington's ambition to become a professional musician. Ellington built his music business through his day job. When a customer asked him to make a sign for a dance or party, he would ask if they had musical entertainment; if not, Ellington would offer to play for the occasion. He also had a messenger job with the U.S. Navy and State departments, where he made a wide range of contacts.

Ellington moved out of his parents' home and bought his own as he became a successful pianist. At first, he played in other ensembles, and in late 1917 formed his first group, "The Duke's Serenaders" ("Colored Syncopators", his telephone directory advertising proclaimed).<ref name="Simmonds" /> He was also the group's booking agent. His first play date was at the True Reformer's Hall, where he took home 75 cents.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hasse|1993|p=45}}.</ref>

Ellington played throughout the D.C. area and into [[Virginia]] for private society balls and embassy parties. The band included childhood friend [[Otto Hardwick]], who began playing the string bass, then moved to C-melody sax and finally settled on alto saxophone; [[Arthur Whetsel]] on trumpet; [[Elmer Snowden]] on banjo; and Sonny Greer on drums. The band thrived, performing for both African-American and white audiences, rare in the [[Racial segregation|segregated]] society of the day.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Cohen| first= Harvey G.|date=Autumn 2004 |title=The Marketing of Duke Ellington: Setting the Strategy for an African American Maestro |journal=The Journal of African American History |volume= 89|issue=4|pages=291–315 |jstor=4134056|doi=10.2307/4134056| s2cid= 145278913}}</ref>

[[File:Duke Ellington St. Louis Toodle-Oo.jpg|thumb|British pressing of "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (1927)]]

When his drummer Sonny Greer was invited to join the [[Wilber Sweatman]] Orchestra in New York City, Ellington left his successful career in D.C. and moved to [[Harlem]], ultimately becoming part of the [[Harlem Renaissance]].{{sfn|page=13|Brothers|2018}} New dance crazes such as the [[Charleston (dance)|Charleston]] emerged in Harlem, as well as African-American [[musical theater]], including [[Eubie Blake]]'s and [[Noble Sissle]]'s (the latter of whom was his neighbor) ''[[Shuffle Along]]''. After the young musicians left the Sweatman Orchestra to strike out on their own, they found an emerging jazz scene that was highly competitive with difficult inroad. They [[pool hustling|hustled pool]] by day and played whatever gigs they could find. The young band met stride pianist [[Willie "The Lion" Smith]], who introduced them to the scene and gave them some money. They played at [[Rent party|rent-house parties]] for income. After a few months, the young musicians returned to Washington, D.C., feeling discouraged.

In June 1923, they played a gig in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]] and another at the prestigious Exclusive Club in Harlem. This was followed in September 1923 by a move to the Hollywood Club (at 49th and Broadway) and a four-year engagement, which gave Ellington a solid artistic base. He was known to play the [[bugle]] at the end of each performance. The group was initially called Elmer Snowden and his Black Sox Orchestra and had seven members, including trumpeter [[James "Bubber" Miley]]. They renamed themselves The Washingtonians. Snowden left the group in early 1924, and Ellington took over as bandleader. After a fire, the club was re-opened as the Club Kentucky (often referred to as the Kentucky Club).

Ellington then made eight records in 1924, receiving composing credit on three including "Choo Choo".<ref>{{Harvnb|Hasse|1993|p=79}}.</ref> In 1925, Ellington contributed four songs to ''[[Chocolate Kiddies]]'' starring [[Lottie Gee]] and [[Adelaide Hall]],{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} an all–African-American revue which introduced European audiences to African-American styles and performers. Duke Ellington and his Kentucky Club Orchestra grew to a group of ten players; they developed their own sound via the non-traditional expression of Ellington's arrangements, the street rhythms of Harlem, and the exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, high-squealing trumpets, and saxophone blues licks of the band members. For a short time, soprano saxophonist and clarinetist [[Sidney Bechet]] played with them, reportedly becoming the dominant personality in the group, with Sonny Greer saying Bechet "fitted out the band like a glove". His presence resulted in friction with Miley and trombonist [[Charlie Irvis]], whose styles differed from Bechet's New Orleans-influenced playing. It was mainly Bechet's unreliability—he was absent for three days in succession—which made his association with Ellington short-lived.<ref>{{Harvnb|Lawrence|2001|pp=46–47}}</ref>