The Bandleader (Part 1)

NPR profiles Duke Ellington as the bandleader:

As a conductor, composer and arranger, Ellington was almost entirely a self-made success. With little formal training, the young bandleader became a keen observer of other professional orchestras, studying them in Broadway pits during daytime show rehearsals, then emulating their arrangements and techniques with his own ensemble at night.

Listen to the entire program here.