Page "Duke Ellington" Paragraph 13

In June 1923, a gig in Atlantic City, New Jersey, led to a play date at the prestigious Exclusive Club in Harlem.

This was followed in September 1923 by a move to the Hollywood Club – 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 called Elmer Snowden and his Black Sox Orchestra and had seven members, including 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 "), an engagement which set the stage for the biggest opportunities in Ellington's life.