MODA Entertainment Announces Rare Fine Art Prints Of Duke Ellington from Sony Music Entertainment

PR Log (Press Release) – May 04, 2009 – MODA Entertainment is proud to announce that Sony Music Entertainment has unveiled a collection of rare fine art prints of Duke Ellington in honor of the 110th anniversary of the jazz legend’s birth. The Duke Ellington Estate is exclusively represented by MODA Entertainment for marketing, merchandising and licensing worldwide.

In commemoration and celebration of cultural icon Duke Ellington, Sony Music Entertainment’s photo archive (Icon-Collectibles.com), has released a collection of fine art prints of the Jazz Legend from his tenure at Sony. The prints were unveiled at the press conference declaring April 29th, 2009 "Duke Ellington Day" in New York City in honor of the 110th anniversary of the jazz legend’s birth. The Duke Ellington collection of rare prints were on display and available for sale at the Borders Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center with a special appearance by Duke Ellington’s grandchildren that evening. The collection of rare prints are available online on the official Duke Ellington website (DukeEllington.com) or Icon-Collectibles.com.  

Duke Ellington, one of the 20th century's most renowned musicians, is among the signature figures in the history of jazz. Whether as composer or band leader, Ellington transcended musical and racial boundaries. When asked what inspired him to write, Ellington replied, "My men and my race are the inspiration of my work. I try to catch the character and mood and feeling of my people."

In his fifty-year career, Ellington played over 20,000 performances worldwide.

Duke Ellington received 13 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement. He also was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the French Legion of Honor and the Pulitzer Prize. His image appeared on a US stamp in 1986. Ellington is the first African-American to solo on a U.S. coin. The Duke Ellington quarter was released in January of this year.

Ellington died on May 24, 1974, a month after his 75th birthday. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in NYC. His funeral at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was attended by over 12,000 people.

Ella Fitzgerald nailed it for the world: "A genius has passed."

About MODA Entertainment, Inc.:
MODA Entertainment, headquartered in New York City, is a multi-media entertainment company. MODA Entertainment has a particularly strong presence in the Classic Hollywood and Golden Age of Hollywood sectors of the entertainment market. Key clients in this category include Abbott & Costello, Duke Ellington, Greta Garbo, Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, William Holden, Ida Lupino, George Raft, Loretta Young, Eartha Kitt, amongst others. MODA's fully owned subsidiaries include MODA Productions, MODA Publishing, LICENSEBOX, PUBLICITYBOX and ICONS.