Irving Mills

Irving Mills advanced jazz considerably while generating substantial personal income along the way. His primary renown stems from serving as Duke Ellington’s manager from 1926 to 1939, during which he arranged Ellington’s residency at the Cotton Club and obtained extensive recording dates plus major live engagements. Mills also supplied lyrics for several Ellington pieces, among them “It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing,” “Mood Indigo,” and “Sophisticated Lady.” Earlier, he and his brother Jack launched a publishing firm that grew into Mills Music, Inc. The roster of artists he promoted included Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmie Lunceford, and Don Redman, and he contributed vocals to numerous recording dates, some alongside Ellington. He organized all-star sessions under the names Whoopee Makers and Irving Mills' Hotsy Totsy Gang between 1928 and 1930. In 1931 he assumed management of an orchestra that he renamed the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. After parting from Ellington in 1939, Mills kept a reduced public presence yet remained active in management and publishing into the 1960s.