An original glossy black-and-white photograph of the great American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, shown at the piano during a performance with his orchestra. He signs and inscribes the image with good luck just below his piano bench.

The Duke Ellington Orchestra was founded in 1923. Although it called New York City home, the ensemble developed a wide fan base through the radio, recordings, and several tours of England, Scotland, France, and the American South. Ellington always led from the keyboard, like something of a twentieth-century Kapellmeister, and was remembered as an effective leader owing to his humor and humility.