Three Black Kings

Sophisticated, lush and alluring, Duke Ellington’s music became part of a legendary collaboration with Alvin Ailey and left an indelible mark on American dance.

Three Black Kings was the last major work written by Ellington. As he lay dying in his hospital bed in 1974, he gave his son, Mercer, final instructions on how it was to be completed and orchestrated. The first movement, with its African rhythmic motifs, depicts Balthazar, the Black king of the Nativity; the second portrays Solomon, King of Israel; and the third celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr., Ellington's good friend whose triumphs are celebrated in the inspiring finale. At its premiere, The New York Times noted, “with its crescendo of gospel rhythms and its expressionist symbols of marches and martyrdom…[Three Black Kings] moves the spectator.” The Daily News hailed the work, “An intensely moving vision.”