giddins: ellington's last decade is one of the best in his whole career.orn by his side after 28 years-- he wrote more than ever, and the pieces became more and more experimental and different-- the latin american suite, the afro-eurasian eclipse, which is, you know, a real attempt to--to describe a one-world music in the language of ellingtonia. narrator: but in the spring of 1972, ellington was diagnosed with lung cancer. characteristically, he told no one. woman: my grandfather never complained. that was part of that upbringing-- that you never show your true feelings. so if you were ill or if you were in pain, it was impolite. i'm sure...when doors were closed-- behind the dressing room, in his own private place-- there were complaints, there was truth about what was really going on, but none of us ever saw that. [playing sentimental lady] man: uh, what tune, since you've gone back to the piano, what tune, um... have you written, which you think is the best? oh... the one coming up tomorrow... always. narrator: for the first time in his long career, he