The highlight of Ellington Plaza in the Shaw neighborhood is “Encore,” a beautiful sculpture cast in stainless steel and granite that pays tribute to one of Washington, D.C.’s favorite sons, Duke Ellington. Born Edgward Kennedy Ellington, “Duke” was born and raised in the city. He started taking piano lessons at the age of seven, a natural path for a child of two pianists. By the mid-1920s, Ellington was an established regular with his own orchestra at the famous Cotton Club in New York City. Ellington’s jazz legacy is unparalleled. His…
