--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You always come back to Duke Ellington…" description: "\"You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like the thread that holds everything together from the big band descending to lots of jazz, actu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png" --- # You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like… ![“You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like the thread that holds everything together from the big band descending to lots of jazz, actually.” quote by Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png) > “You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like the thread that holds everything together from the big band descending to lots of jazz, actually.” [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Duke Ellington’s influence threads through diverse jazz styles, linking past and present. **In simple terms:** Ellington connects many jazz forms. Key Takeaway Study Ellington’s role as a unifying force in jazz. Themes music history influence continuity jazz Mood reflective educational Type music analysis historical insight When to use this quote - music education - concert programming - artist collaborations Key Concepts cultural legacy musical threads genre evolution Questions to Reflect On - What makes Ellington’s music a “thread”? - How do modern artists keep that thread alive? A Different Perspective Focusing only on Ellington may overlook other pivotal contributors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-band/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [When I got through, Duke Ellington stood up and started the applause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-brown/when-i-got-through-duke-ellington-stood-up-and-started-the-applause/) [Ruth Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-brown/) > [As for my band, well, my mentors were Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Jimmie Lunceford, and no one had a band more smartly dressed than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/as-for-my-band-well-my-mentors-were-duke-ellington-benny-goodman/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [We work so hard on our craft, and once we get out of Duke Ellington, there are not going to be people looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/we-work-so-hard-on-our-craft-and-once-we-get-out-of-duke-ellington/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [Count Basie was college, but Duke Ellington was graduate school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-terry/count-basie-was-college-but-duke-ellington-was-graduate-school/) [Clark Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-terry/) > [I think it was Duke Ellington who once said that we're always most pleased with our current record. I mean, you have to assume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-shearing/i-think-it-was-duke-ellington-who-once-said-that-we-re-always-most/) [George Shearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-shearing/) > [It's a spirit that was given me and the relationships and meeting all these great people, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong; through Max I met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbey-lincoln/it-s-a-spirit-that-was-given-me-and-the-relationships-and-meeting-all/) [Abbey Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbey-lincoln/) > [I wouldn't know absolutely everything I've been influenced by, but the first jazz I heard was Duke Ellington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-gardot/i-wouldn-t-know-absolutely-everything-i-ve-been-influenced-by-but-the/) [Melody Gardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-gardot/) > [Bebop didn't have the humanity of Duke Ellington. It didn't have that recognizable thing. Bird and Diz were great, fantastic, challenging -- but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/bebop-didn-t-have-the-humanity-of-duke-ellington-it-didn-t-have-that/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [ I learned from Ethel Waters, Duke Ellington, Adelaide Hall, the Nicholas Brothers, the whole thing, the whole schmear. \[The Cotton Club\] was a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/i-learned-from-ethel-waters-duke-ellington-adelaide-hall-the-nicholas/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [At least one day out of the year all musicans should just put their instruments down, and give thanks too Duke Ellington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/at-least-one-day-out-of-the-year-all-musicans-should-just-put-their/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [The musicians, Duke Ellington, his thing was not about separating himself from the rest of America. Louis Armstrong - go to the forefathers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-musicians-duke-ellington-his-thing-was-not-about-separating/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Duke Ellington always had a style: original, clean with interesting color combinations. He had an artist's eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/duke-ellington-always-had-a-style-original-clean-with-interesting/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Duke Ellington had a song, "What Am I Here For?" - this is what being pro-life is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/duke-ellington-had-a-song-what-am-i-here-for-this-is-what-being-pro/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ \[Prince\] could very well be the Duke Ellington of Rock 'n' Roll. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/prince-could-very-well-be-the-duke-ellington-of-rock-n-roll/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [I like to think Duke Ellington would probably embrace a fragrance as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ferry/i-like-to-think-duke-ellington-would-probably-embrace-a-fragrance-as/) [Bryan Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ferry/) ## More by Herbert > [I try to be original in every piece of music I do, and of course I probably fail every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/i-try-to-be-original-in-every-piece-of-music-i-do-and-of-course-i/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Ours is a land rich in resources; stimulating in its glorious beauty; filled with millions of happy homes; blessed with comfort and opportunity. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/ours-is-a-land-rich-in-resources-stimulating-in-its-glorious-beauty/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [As never before does the keeping of our economic machine in tune depend upon wise policies in the administrative side of the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/as-never-before-does-the-keeping-of-our-economic-machine-in-tune/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Chaos is hateful. That indeterminate nature of war brings a really unsettling atmosphere to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/chaos-is-hateful-that-indeterminate-nature-of-war-brings-a-really/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Pigs are very intelligent. They're very misunderstood. Yet they're sort of man's unofficial best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/pigs-are-very-intelligent-they-re-very-misunderstood-yet-they-re-sort/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Actually, time and time again people always come back to my early, more innocent stuff, and say, "I kind of prefer that." I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/actually-time-and-time-again-people-always-come-back-to-my-early-more/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [The more you look into pigs the more you realize quite how everywhere they are. People come in contact with parts of pigs probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/the-more-you-look-into-pigs-the-more-you-realize-quite-how-everywhere/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [As I get older, everything feels like it's fundamentally connected, and once you've accepted the idea that business is right, and the free market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/as-i-get-older-everything-feels-like-it-s-fundamentally-connected-and/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Other than rhythm, the only thing I could say is that I take a great deal of pride in every single sound I use.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/other-than-rhythm-the-only-thing-i-could-say-is-that-i-take-a-great/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [I read somewhere that if you translated all the gadgets and technology in our houses to make our lives easier and save time, each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/i-read-somewhere-that-if-you-translated-all-the-gadgets-and/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [Civilization rests on a set of promises; if the promises are broken too often, the civilization dies, no matter how rich it may be,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/civilization-rests-on-a-set-of-promises-if-the-promises-are-broken/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [I always talk about my ambition with music, and it's to sort of seduce people into listening to sounds they wouldn't normally listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/i-always-talk-about-my-ambition-with-music-and-it-s-to-sort-of-seduce/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [I think people are complacent about sound, because we're so limited by the textures and timbres we hear in music, but in our everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/i-think-people-are-complacent-about-sound-because-we-re-so-limited-by/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [I came out of an electronic music scene that based all its music on software. It was a real boys thing, a real testosterone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/i-came-out-of-an-electronic-music-scene-that-based-all-its-music-on/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) > [People do things for love and belief and passion, not just because they're paid to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/people-do-things-for-love-and-belief-and-passion-not-just-because/) [Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) [Explore all 25 Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like the thread that holds everything together from the big band descending to lots of jazz, actually.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-he-s-kind-of-like-the-thread/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-he-s-kind-of-like-the-thread/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/herbert-23695_band_you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-h_2209785.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You always come back to Duke Ellington - he's kind of like the thread that holds everything together from…” — Herbert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Herbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You always come back to Duke...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-he-s-kind-of-like-the-thread/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/you-always-come-back-to-duke-ellington-he-s-kind-of-like-the-thread/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```