"Jazz is like a beautiful woman. You never know what she's going to do next."

~ Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra- Live At Carnegie Hall: January 1943 (Full Concert)

The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943 is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Carnegie Hall, in New York City in 1943 and released on the Prestige label in 1977.

Reception.

This two-CD set captures one of the milestones in Duke Ellington’s long and extremely productive career, highlighted by his monumental suite “Black, Brown and Beige” in the only full-length version ever recorded by his orchestra; soon it was only performed as excerpts. In addition, Ellington’s all-star orchestra (including such stylists as trumpeters Rex Stewart, Ray Nance, and Shorty Baker; trombonists Tricky Sam Nanton and Lawrence Brown; and a saxophone section boasting Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, and Harry Carney) excels on the shorter pieces, a mixture of older and recent compositions. Every serious jazz library should contain this set (Scott Yanow/AllMusic).

Personnel: Duke Ellington – piano, bandleader Billy Strayhorn – piano Rex Stewart – cornet Shorty Baker, Wallace Jones – trumpet Ray Nance – trumpet, violin Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton – trombone Juan Tizol – valve trombone Otto Hardwicke – alto saxophone, clarinet Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone Chauncy Haughton – clarinet, tenor saxophone Ben Webster – tenor saxophone Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, clarinet, alto saxophone Fred Guy – guitar Junior Raglin – bass Sonny Greer – drums

April 29: Duke Ellington & Jazz Icons

Duke Ellington And Count Basie – First Time! The Count Meets the Duke

First Time! The Count Meets the Duke is an album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961.

Personnel: Duke Ellington, Count Basie – piano Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Eddie Mullens, Ray Nance, Sonny Cohn, Lennie Johnson, Thad Jones, Snooky Young – trumpet Lou Blackburn, Lawrence Brown, Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson, Benny Powell – trombone Juan Tizol – valve trombone Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone Russell Procope, Marshal Royal – alto saxophone, clarinet Frank Wess – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute Paul Gonsalves, Frank Foster, Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone Harry Carney, Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone Freddie Green – guitar Aaron Bell, Eddie Jones – bass Sam Woodyard, Sonny Payne – drums

Reception.

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars calling it “a very successful and surprisingly uncrowded encounter. On most selections Ellington and Basie both play piano (their interaction with each other is wonderful) and the arrangements allowed the stars from both bands to take turns soloing”.

Photo: Duke Elligton by William P. Gottlieb via Wikimedia Commons,Public domain

"There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind."

~ Duke Ellington

Listen to a classic version of the song by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington on The Ed Sullivan Show on March 7, 1965.

Personnel:

Ella Fitzgerald - vocals

Duke Ellington - piano

"By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with".

~ Duke Ellington

“If jazz means anything, it is freedom of expression.”

~ Duke Ellington