Tag Archives: Sonny Greer

Portrait of Mercer Ellington, Part I (Podcast #24-002)

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Ellington Reflections

Mercer Ellington, son of Duke Ellington, is an underrated contributor to the world of Ellingtonia. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged concerts, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Jazz, Johnny Hodges, Johnny Mercer, Mercer Ellington, music, news, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

One More Once… (Podcast #23-002)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Ellington Reflections

Just a few items I either omitted unknowingly, or due to time, or just not having access to at the time. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Reminiscing In Tempo (Podcast #23-001)

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Ellington Reflections

Reminiscing In Tempo is one of Duke Ellington’s most personal compositions. In was written in memory of his mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Daisy Ellington, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Juan Tizol, Ray Nance, Rex Stewart, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Creole Rhapsody (Podcast #22-005)

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Ellington Reflections

“So I went out and wrote Creole Rhapsody, and I did so much music for it that we had to cut t up and do two versions. One came out on Brunswick and the other, longer one, on Victor. Irving … Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Harold Ashby, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Norris Turney, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Beyond the Usual Suspects, Part II (Podcast #22-004)

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Ellington Reflections

The second part of a survey of seldom covered Ellington compositions. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Ben Webster, Buell Neidlinger, Cecil Taylor, Chico Hamilton, Clark Terry, Duke Ellington, Eric Dolphy, Jimmie Blanton, Jimmie Lunceford, Lambert Hendricks and Ross, Mercer Ellington, Rex Stewart, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Ellingtonians play Ellington (Podcast #21-007)

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Ellington Reflections

A small sampling of Ellington songs played by his sidemen outside of the setting of the Ellington orchestra. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Al Hibbler, Al Sears, Barney Bigard, Ben Webster, Billy Strayhorn, Bud Freeman, Coleman Hawkins, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Fred Guy, J.C. Higginbotham, Jimmy Hamilton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Otto Hardwicke, Rex Stewart, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Sidney Bechet, Sonny Greer, Taft Jordan | Leave a comment

Ellingtonian Geography (Podcast #19-016)

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Geographically titled songs by Ellington and his associates. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Barney Bigard, Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

The Treasury Shows, Pt. V (Podcast #19-015)

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

This is the last part of our look at the 25 double CD set of Storyville’s Treasury Show series…. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Billy Strayhorn, Cat Anderson, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Paul Gonsalves, Radio, Ray Nance, Russell Procope, Sonny Greer, U. S. Treasury Department | Leave a comment

Portrait of Lawrence Brown, Pt. II (Podcast #19-014)

Posted on August 4, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Lawrence Brown (1907-88) was a major voice in the Ellington orchestra. He played with Duke for 29 years, longer than any other trombonist in the orchestra. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Russell Procope, Sonny Greer, Trombone, Wild Bill Davis | Leave a comment

Portrait of Lawrence Brown, Pt. I (Podcast #19-013)

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Lawrence Brown (1907-88) was a major voice in the Ellington orchestra. He played with Duke for 29 years, longer than any other trombonist in the orchestra. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Sonny Greer, Trombone | Leave a comment

The Treasury Shows, Pt. IV (Podcast #19-012)

Posted on July 7, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

A few selections from Volumes 16 thru 20 of Duke’s Treasury Shows…. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Kay Davis, Lawrence Brown, Mercer Ellington, Nat Jones, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer, Storyville Records, U. S. Treasury Department | Leave a comment

Old Wine and New Bottles (Podcast #19-011)

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Ellington never liked to set his compositions in stone. Here’s a few examples of how he would re-visit older works…
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Posted in podcast | Tagged Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Cotton Club, Duke Ellington, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Portrait of Otto Hardwicke (Podcast #19-010)

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Reedman Otto “Toby” Hardwicke was one of the earliest Ellingtonians. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Alto Sax, Baritone Sax, Barney Bigard, Bass Sax, Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwicke, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Portrait of Bubber Miley (Podcast #19-008)

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

“Bubber Miley was from the body and soul of Soulville. He was raised on soul and saturated and marinated in soul. Every note he played was soul filled with the pulse of compulsion….. Bubber was born in South Carolina, but … Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Barney Bigard, Bing Crosby, Bix Beiderbecke, Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Cotton Club, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Freddy Guy, Harry Carney, Hoagy Carmichael, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Whiteman, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer, Wellman Braud | Leave a comment

Portrait of Fred Guy (Podcast #19-007)

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Fred Guy played banjo and guitar in the Ellington Orchestra from 1925 to 1949. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Banjo, Billy Strayhorn, Cotton Club, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Freddy Guy, Guitar, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Greer | 2 Comments

The Treasury Shows, Pt. III (Podcast #19-006)

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Continuing our exploration of Duke’s radio broadcasts on behalf of the US Treasury Department.
Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Al Sears, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Jr. Raglin, Lawrence Brown, Sonny Greer, U. S. Treasury Department | Leave a comment

The Treasury Shows, Pt. II (Podcast #19-004)

Posted on February 17, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

A look at some of the music on Volumes 6 through 10 of Storyville Records’ release of the Duke Ellington Treasury Series radio shows.
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Posted in podcast | Tagged Al Hibbler, Al Sears, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Joya Sherrill, Kay Davis, Lawrence Brown, Otto Hardwicke, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer, Storyville Records, Taft Jordan, U. S. Treasury Department, War Bonds, World War II | Leave a comment

And Now For Something Completely Different…. (Podcast #19-003)

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Ellington Reflections

Ellington playing the electric piano, Billy Strayhorn on harpsichord and the 1932 band in stereo are just some of the different items you’ll hear from the Ellington oeuvre.
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Posted in podcast | Tagged Apollo 11, Barney Bigard, Billy Strayhorn, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Jazz, Jazz Podcast, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Tiger Rag & its Ellington Contrafacts (Podcast #18-018)

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Ellington Reflections

Tiger Rag provided Ellington with composition material for many years Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Art Tatum, Barney Bigard, Bubber Miley, Duke Ellington, Harold "Money" Johnson, Harry Carney, Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Hodges, New Orleans, Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Piano, Russell Procope, Sonny Greer, Tiger Rag, Vince Prudente | Leave a comment

Where to Start? (Podcast #18-009)

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Ellington Reflections

These four CD sets are a great start to a Duke Ellington collection at a reasonable price. Continue reading →

Posted in podcast | Tagged Al Hibbler, Ben Webster, Britt Woodman, Bubber Miley, Buster Cooper, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Cootie Williams, Duke Ellington, Fred Guy, Harry Carney, Ivie Anderson, Jimmie Blanton, Jimmy Hamilton, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Louie Bellson, Paul Gonsalves, Quentin Jackson, Ray Nance, Russell Procope, Sam Woodyard, Sonny Greer, Tyree Glenn | Leave a comment

Portrait of Sonny Greer (Podcast #18-007)

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Ellington Reflections

William Alexander “Sonny” Greer was the Ellington band’s first drummer; his tenure was from 1923-51.
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Posted in podcast | Tagged Duke Ellington, Earl Fatha Hines, Jimmie Blanton, Mercer Ellington, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer | Leave a comment

Portrait of Ben Webster, Pt. I (Podcast #18-002)

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Ellington Reflections

The addition of Ben Webster in 1940 permanently brought Ellington’s saxophone section to five members. But Webster’s tenor voice was to impact the band far beyond his four year tenure. Continue reading →