[Manuscript] Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was one of the greatest all-around musicians the United States has produced. In 1943 he debuted at Carnegie Hall with a suite entitled Black, Brown, and Beige. The first movement, Black, portrays the forced immigration of blacks to America and their enslavement. Ellington concluded it with an uplifting section, Light.

This manuscript of Light, complete with Ellington's notations, demonstrates that he specifically tailored his compositions to his band members' individual talents.

Courtesy of the National Museum of American History, from the estate of Edward (Duke) Ellington.

Music manuscript, Light, about 1940, by Duke Ellington (1899-1974)

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