Blues for "The Duke,” from Portraits in Jazz, by Valerie Capers
“Blues for the Duke” is two pages long and is inspired by Duke Ellington, a renaissance man of jazz. This piece is composed in traditional twelve-bar blues form, which is based on three chords, the I, IV, and V. It would be helpful for the performer to think of this blues as a theme (bars 1-12) with two variations (m. 13-24) and (m.25-36) respectively, with an eventual return to the opening theme. The theme is reminiscent of Duke, so it would be beneficial for a student to become familiar with his style, in order to fully capture his influence within this piece.
The piece features chains of second-inversion chords in the right hand that require good voicing. The left hand features complex bass lines, and require careful shaping and balance.
Portraits of Jazz by Valerie Capers is a collection of 12 early intermediate to intermediate jazz style pieces published in 1976 by Aztec Diaz-Tec 800, and Oxford University Press in 1992. These pieces are inspired by or dedicated to a particular jazz musician or singer
Valerie Capers was born in 1935, and was introduced to music through her father’s ties to Fats Waller (American Jazz Pianist), and her brother’s performances in the Mongo Santamaria Band. She received her early education at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind and graduated from the Juilliard School of Music, with Bachelors and Masters degrees. Capers brings a wide scope of pianistic styles and concepts to her playing, drawing from jazz idols and keyboard masters alike.
Source
Blues for "The Duke," from Portraits in Jazz. Valerie Capers. Performed by Ayla Lantz.