“Night Life was New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin; uptown, downtown; Harlem, out South; anywhere where they wore that gorgeous velvet mantle.”
– Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress
The recordings heard on this podcast episode:
Washington Wobble (CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor – 09026-63386-2)
Recorded 6 October 1927, New York City
Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Rudy Jackson, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Mack Shaw – tuba; Sonny Greer – drums.
New York City Blues (LP: “The Complete Duke Ellington 1947-1952” CBS 462986 2)
Recorded 30 December 1947, New York City
Harold “Shorty” Baker – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Blue Belles of Harlem (CD: “The Treasury Shows, Volume 7” D.E.T.S. – 903 9007)
Recorded 7 July 1945, New York City
Shelton Hemphill, Rex Stewart, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Otto Hardwicke, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Mobile Blues (CD: “The Duke’s Men, Volume 2” Columbia Jazz Masterpieces – C2K 48835)
Recorded 21 December 1938, New York City
Cootie Williams – trumpet; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Billy Taylor – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
New East St. Louis Toodle-oo (CD: “Reminiscing In Tempo” Legacy – CK 48654)
Recorded 5 March 1937, New York City
Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Billy Taylor, Hayes Alvis – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Freddy Jenkins – chimes.
Isfahan (CD: “All Star Road Band, Volume 2” Doctor Jazz FDC 5011)
Recorded 31 May 1964, Chicago
Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Nat Woodard – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Peck Morrison – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Dallas Doings (CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor – 09026-63386-2)
Recorded 26 September 1933, Chicago
Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins, Louis Bacon – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Oculpaca (CD: “Latin American Suite” Fantasy OJC20 469-2)
Recorded 5 November 1968, New York City
Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Willie Cook – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jeff Castleman – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.
Rumpus in Richmond (CD: “Highlights of the Great 1940-1942” Avid EMSC1143)
Recorded 22 July 1940, New York City
Cootie Williams, Wallace Jones, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Ben Webster, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Jimmie Blanton – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Montevideo (CD: “Piano Reflections” Capitol Jazz – CDP 7 92863 2)
Recorded 3 December 1953, New York City
Duke Ellington – piano; Wendell Marshall – bass; Dave Black – drum, Ralph Collier – congas.
Moon Over Cuba (CD: “Highlights of the Great 1940-1942” Avid EMSC1143)
Recorded 2 July1941, Los Angeles
Ray Nance, Wallace Jones, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Ben Webster, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Jimmie Blanton – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.
Oklahoma Stomp (CD: “Early Ellington – The Complete Brunswick And Vocalion Recordings Of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931” Decca/MCA Records GRD-3-640)
Recorded 29 October 1929, New York City
Cootie Williams, Freddy Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Teddy Bunn – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Howard “Blinky” Randolph – kazoo.
A Midnight In Paris (CD: “Duke Ellington: The Columbia Years 1927-1962” Columbia 5176872)
Recorded 21 June 1962, New York City
Bill Berry, Roy Burrowes, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Britt Woodman, Chuck Connors – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Paris Blues (CD: “Duke Ellington and his Orchestra featuring Paul Gonsalves” Fantasy – F-9636)
Recorded 1 May 1962, New York City
Bill Berry, Roy Burrowes, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Leon Cox, Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
— Our closing music —-
It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)
Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City
Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.
Ellington Reflections 