By Ted Gioia There are many unusual paths to leadership of a jazz big band. Duke Ellington started out as a painter, and showed genuine gifts as a visual artist. Woody Herman began as a child tap dancer in vaudeville. Read more here. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ