A Short History of “Satin Doll” (Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, 1953)


“Satin Doll” is a jazz standard penned in 1953 by Duke Ellington and his longtime collaborator Billy Strayhorn. According to Duke’s son Mercer, his father wrote it for his longtime partner, Bea “Evie” Ellis. Strayhorn provided the harmonization, as often was the case with Ellington’s most popular compositions. A dispute arose between the heirs of...

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