Ed Zubrow:

>Percy Grainger (discussed recently on the list) heard
>the band and "compared some of his characeteristics with Bach and Haydn."

When Grainger taught at NYU (I think), he turned over one of his lectures
to the Ellington band.  Grainger (a man who held several racist beliefs,
by the way) nevertheless got Ellington his first university gig.  He
introduced Ellington in the following fashion:  "The three greatest
composers who ever lived are Bach, Delius, and Duke Ellington.  Bach is
dead, Delius is very ill, but we are happy to have with us today The Duke."

Grainger also considered Ellington and Delius to have a similar view of
harmony and told Ellington about it.  Ellington had never heard any music
by Delius, but as a fellow of wide culture, went out and bought all the
Delius recordings he could - probably the early Beechams.  He could never
figure out where Grainger saw a similarity, but he did become a Delius fan.

Steve Schwartz