Final answer:
Billy Strayhorn was responsible for many arrangements and hits for Duke Ellington, including 'Take the A Train.' Their collaboration is a hallmark of the jazz genre, which reflects the evolution of music within African American communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The person responsible for many of Duke Ellington's greatest arrangements and hits, including the band's theme song 'Take the A Train,' was Billy Strayhorn. Strayhorn was a composer, pianist, and arranger who played a significant role in shaping the Ellington Orchestra's sound over nearly three decades. His collaboration with Duke Ellington led to the creation of a rich repertoire of jazz music that reflected the vibrant culture and experience of African Americans, much like how jazz in the 1920s mirrored the lives of black communities and deviated from European classical styles.
Take the A Train, which became one of the defining pieces of the Big Band era, showcases the blend of rhythmic forces, harmonies, and improvisation that were characteristic of jazz during its golden age. The legacy of musicians like Strayhorn and Ellington, and their influence on jazz, is inseparable from the cultural renaissance that took place within African American communities, and their work remains a testament to the genre's innovative spirit and its roots in the eclectic musical traditions of the era.