Just as the Beatles were the preeminent band of their era, Duke Ellington was the towering figure of the Big Band era. What they have in common, Thomas Brothers argues here, is a penchant for collaboration. While it lasted, John Lennon and Paul McCartney's songwriting partnership was symbiotic and perhaps more constructive than either later admitted. Ellington, however, relied on Billy Strayhorn and other musicians to flesh out his compositions, and as Brothers points out, the jazz legend defensively portrayed himself as the sole creator of his music.