HARLEM - Here's a chance to own a piece of music history.
Famous auction house Guernsey’s will open bids on 300 personal items owned by legendary musician and Harlem resident Duke Ellington at The National Jazz Museum Wednesday.
Items such as Ellington's white baby grand piano — the one he used to compose many of his classic hits — and two dozen original music scores including "Paris Blues," "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Mood Indigo."
"It's the first ever auction (of Ellington items) held in Harlem, which is interesting considering Duke's career started at the (original) Cotton Club at 142nd and Lenox," said Arlan Ettinger, the president of Guernsey’s.
The museum, located at 58 W. 129th St., held a preview Tuesday.
The sale will be at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem for in-person customers, and online at liveauctioneers.com and invaluable.com. It starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The collection was previously held at the home of Ruth Ellington, the musician's sister, and owned by the his surviving relatives who will receive the proceeds of the sale.
Ellington's suits, tuxedos and dinner jackets, most of which have his name discreetly written on the inside of his jacket pockets, are also up for auction, as well as Ellington's posthumous 1999 special Pulitzer Prize for music, music contracts and various paintings.
Here's a book personally signed from Langston Hughes to Duke Ellington pic.twitter.com/Dl1tJYNoOk
— Dartunorro D. Clark (@DartDClark) May 17, 2016
@DartDClark incredible stuff, including Duke's Pulitzer, original compositions, contracts, clothing and paintings.
— Dartunorro D. Clark (@DartDClark) May 17, 2016
