Ellington Reflections

“The Girl’s Suite” is a 1961 tribute to singers Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and Mahalia Jackson.

The recordings heard on this podcast episode:

Girls/Lena/Mahalia/Dinah/Sylvia (“The Girl’s Suite And The Perfume Suite” Columbia FC 38028)

Recorded 19 September 1961, Los Angeles

Willie Cook, Edward Mullens, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Louis Blackburn, 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.

Girls/Sarah/Lena/Mahalia/Dinah/ (“Les Girls!” Maison du Duke MDD 004)

Recorded 23 September 1961, Monterey, California

Willie Cook, Edward Mullens, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Louis Blackburn, 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.

Barrie Lee Hall, Jr. (1949-2011)

Rock Skippin’ at the Blue Note (CD: “Continuum” Fantasy FCD-24765-2)

Recorded 6 January 1975, Chicago

Cootie Williams, James “Buddy” Bolden, Harold “Money” Johnson, Barry Lee Hall, Calvin Ladner – trumpet; Chuck Connors, Vince Prudente, Art Baron – trombone; Harold “Geezil” Minerve, Maurice Simon, Harold Ashby, Ricky Ford, Anatole Gerasimov, Joe Temperley – reeds; Lloyd Mayers – piano; Edward Kennedy Ellington, II – guitar; J.J. Wiggins – bass; Freddie Waits – drums.

Take the “A” Train (LP: “Ellington Fresh Up” Solid Records LDC-1002)

Recorded 2 October 1976, Japan

Mercer Ellington – director; Barrie Lee Hall, Jr., Willie Singleton, James Bolden, Robert Randridge – trumpet; Malcolm Taylor, Raymond Harris, Chuck Connors – trombone; Harold Minerve, Vincent York, David Young, Percy Marion, Robert Eldridge – reeds; Lloyd Mayer – piano; Edward Ellington II – guitar; Carine Ray – bass; Quintin “Rocky White – drums.

East St. Louis Toodle-oo/Echoes of Harlem/Ring Dem Bells (LP: “Hot and Bothered (A Re-creation)” Doctor Jazz FW40029)

Recorded 22 June 1984, Los Angeles

Mercer Ellington – director; Rick Baptist, Barry Lee Hall, Will Miller, Ron Tooley – trumpet; Art Baron, Chuck Connors, Herman Green, Ed Neumeister – trombone; Jackie Kelso, Gary Bias, Bill Green, Harold “Geezil” Minerve, Charles Owens, Herman Riley – reeds; Lloyd Mayers – piano; Kenny Burrell – guitar, banjo; J.J. Wiggins – bass; Rocky White – drums.

Ring Dem Bells (CD: “The Cotton Connection”

Recorded 24 January 1985, New York City

Mercer Ellington – director; Teresa Brewer – vocal; Lew Soloff, Rick Baptist, Joe Wilder, Barrie Lee Hall, Jr. – trumpet; Al Grey, Chuck Connors, Ed Neumeister – trombone; Norris Turney, Arnie Lawrence, Al Cohn, Eddie Daniels, Arthur “Babe” Clarke – reeds; Lloyd Mayers – piano; Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar; J.J. Wiggins – bass; Grady Tate – drums.

All of Me/Danske Onje (Danish Eyes) – (CD: “Music is my Mistress” Music Masters CIJD 60185K)

The Shepherd (CD: “The Duke Ellington Small Band”)

Released 2006

Barrie Lee Hall, Jr. – trumpet; Dion Tucker – trombone; Shelley Carrol – soprano sax, tenor sax; Charlie Young – alto sax; Robert Landham – baritone sax; Tommy James – piano; Hassan Shakur – bass; Quentin “Rocky” White – 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.

“Sidney Bechet was one of the truly great originals. I shall never forget the first time I heard him play, at the Howard Theatre in Washington around 1921. I had never heard anything like it. It was a completely new sound and conception to me.”

– Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress

The recordings heard on this podcast episode:

CD: “The Legendary Sidney Bechet” Bluebird – 6590-1-RB

The Mooche 

Recorded 14 October 1941, New York City

Henry Goodwin –trumpet; Vic Dickenson – trombone; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Don Donaldson – piano; Ernest Williamson – bass; Manzie Johnson – drums.

Stompy Jones

Recorded 6 September 1940, Chicago

Rex Stewart – cornet; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Earl “Fatha” Hines – piano; John Lindsay – bass; Warren “Baby” Dodds – drums.

Mood Indigo

Recorded 24 October 1941, New York City

Charlie Shavers – trumpet; Sidney Bechet – clarinet; Willie “The Lion” Smith – piano; Everett Barksdale – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sidney Catlett – drums.

The Sheik of Araby

Recorded 19 April 1941, New York City

Sidney Bechet – clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax, piano, bass, drums.

Old Man Blues (CD: “The Sidney Bechet Story” Proper Records – PROPERBOX 18)

Recorded 4 June 1940, New York City

Sidney DeParis – trumpet; Sandy Williams – trombone; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Cliff Jackson – piano; Bernard Addison – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sidney Catlett – drums.

The Sheik of Araby (CD: “The Complete 1933-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)

Recorded 16 May 1932, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

The Sheik of Araby  (CD: “Fargo, ND, November 7, 1940” Vintage Jazz Classics VJC-1019/20-2)

Recorded 7 November 1940 at The Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota

Wallace Jones, Rex Stewart, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Jimmie Blanton – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Never No Lament (LP: “Bechet, Bunk and Boston 1945” Jazz Archives – JA-48)

Recorded 3 April 1945, Boston

Bunk Johnson – trumpet; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Ray Parker – piano; George “Pops” Foster – bass; George Thompson – drums.

Portrait of Sidney Bechet (CD: “New Orleans Suite” Warner Bros. 7411644)

Recorded 13 May 1970, New York City

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpet; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Chuck Connors – trumpet; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – 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.

Johnny Hodges / Wild Bill Davis featuring Kenny Burrell (CD: Mess of Blues, Lone Hill Jazz – LHJ10285)

I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart

Recorded 15 May 1963, New York City

Stolen Sweets

Recorded 4 September 1963, New York City

Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Wild Bill Davis – organ; Kenny Burrell – guitar; Osie Johnson – drums.

I’m Beginning to See the Light / Perdido / C-Jam Blues

Recorded 14 January 1966

Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Earl Hines – piano; Kenny Burrell – guitar; Richard Davis – bass; Joe Marshall – drums.

Ellington is Forever, Volumes 1 and 2 (Fantasy Records)

Azure / Prelude to a Kiss / In a Mellotone

Recorded July/August 1976, Berkeley, CA

Kenny Burrell – guitar; Nat Adderley – cornet; Quentin Jackson – trombone; Gary Bartz – soprano sax; Jimmy Jones – piano; Monk Montgomery – bass; Philly Joe Jones – drums.

I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So

Recorded November/December 1975, Berkeley, CA

Ernie Andrews – vocal; Jerome Richardson – tenor sax; Jimmy Jones – piano; KennyBurrell – guitar; Stan Gilbert – bass; Jimmie Smith – drums.

Sultry Serenade (CD: Ellington A La Carte, Muse Records – MCD 5435)

Recorded 19/20 August 1983, New York City

Kenny Burrell – guitar; Rufus Reid – bass

In a Sentimental Mood (CD: Red+Hot+Indigo, The Red Hot Organization – RHO-13IND)

Released 2001

Kenny Burrell – guitar; John Medeski – piano; Chris Wood – bass; Billy Martin – 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.

“After thirteen different shots and vaccinations, we leave New York on September 6, 1963, for one of the most unusual and adventurous trips we have ever undertaken.”

Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress

Amad/Agra/Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah)/Depk (CD: Duke Ellington, “Paris, March 1964” MDD 003)

Recorded 20 March 1964, Theatre Des Champs-Élysées, Paris

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Rolf Ericson – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.

Amad (CD: Pierre Bertrand, “Far East Suite” Cristal Records – CR 278)

Recorded

Pierre Bertrand – tenor sax; Alfio Origlio : piano; Louis Winsberg – guitar; Pierre-François Dufour – cello; Jérôme Regard – bass; Stéphane Édouard – percussion; Minino Garay – drums; Paloma Pradal, Sabrina Romero – vocal.

Agra (CD: Brian Landrus, “Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn,” Palmetto Records – BL202301)

Recorded 6/7 August 2023, Brooklyn

Brian Landrus – baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet, piccolo, c flute, alto flute, bass flute; Dave Stryker – electric and acoustic guitar; Jay Anderson – acoustic bass; Billy Hart – drums.

Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah) (CD: Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra, “Far East Suite” Asian Improv Records – AIR 0053)

Recorded 31 March 1999, Richmond, CA

John Worley, Louis Fasman, Qi Chao Liu – trumpet; Dave Martell, Wayne Wallace – trombone; Francis Wong, Melecio Magdaluyo, Jim Norton, Hafez Modirzadeh – reeds;   Jon Jang – piano; Mark Izu – bass; Anthony Brown – drums.

Depk (CD: Gary Burton, “Departure” Concord Jazz – CCD-4749-2)

Recorded 20-22 September 1996, New York City

Gary Burton – vibes; Fred Hersch – piano; John Scofield – guitar; John Patitucci – bass; Peter Erskine – 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.

Most Duke Ellington tribute concerts and recordings rely on just a handful of his compositions (Mood Indigo, Satin Doll, In A Sentimental Mood, etc.). The Duke Ellington Society refers to these songs as “the usual suspects.” While they are worthy of their status as standards, Ellington wrote thousands of compositions; there is plenty of his oeuvre that is ripe for exploration!

Serenade to Sweden (CD: “The Complete 1933-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)

Recorded 6 June 1939, New York City

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Billy Taylor – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Serenade to Sweden (CD: Duo Campion-Vachon, “Duke Ellington,” Analekta AN 2 9820)

Released 2005

Guy Campion, Mario Vachon – piano.

Lady of the Lavender Mist (Duke Ellington: The Columbia Years 1927-1962 [3 disk set] Columbia 5176872)

Recorded 14 August 1947 in Los Angeles

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones, Tyree Glenn – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Oscar Pettiford – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Lady of the Lavender Mist (CD: Anais Reno, “Lady of the Lavender Mist” Club44 Records – CL44-4207)

Recorded 2025

Anais Reno – vocal; Peter Bernstein – guitar; David Wong – bass, and Joe Farnsworth – drums.

Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta (CD: “New Orleans Suite,” Warner Bros. 7411644)

Recorded 27 April 1970, New York City

Cootie Williams, Al Rubin, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpets; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Malcolm Taylor – trombones; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Johnny Hodges, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta (CD: Barrie Lee Hall, Jr., “The Duke Ellington Small Band”)

Recorded 2006

Barrie Lee Hall, Jr. – trumpet; Dion Tucker – trombone; Charlie Young – alto sax; Shelley Carrol – tenor sax; Robert Landham – baritone sax; Tommy James – piano; Hassan Shakur – bass; Quentin “Rocky” White – drums.

The Telecasters (LP/CD “Such Sweet Thunder” Columbia CL 1033/Columbia/Legacy 65568)

Recorded 15 April 1957, New York City

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Ray Nance – trumpet; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombones; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.

The Telecasters (CD: Brian Landrus,“Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn,” Palmetto Records)

Recorded 6/7 August 2023, Brooklyn

Brian Landrus – baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet, piccolo, c flute, alto flute, bass flute; Dave Stryker – electric and acoustic guitar; Jay Anderson – acoustic bass; Billy Hart – drums.

The Single Petal of a Rose (from the Queen’s Suite) (CD:  “The Ellington Suites” Original Jazz Classics OJC 34614)

Recorded 5 October 1972, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass.

Single Petal of a Rose (CD: Ben Webster, “See You at the Fair,” Impulse! – GRD-121)

Recorded 11 March 1964, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Ben Webster – tenor sax; Hank Jones – piano; Richard Davis – bass; Osie Johnson – drums.

Lotus Blossom (CD: Paul Gonsalves/Ray Nance, “Just A-Sittin’ And A-Rockin’,” Black Lion Records – BLCD760148)

Recorded 28 August 1970, New York City

Ray Nance – violin; Paul Gonsalves – tenor sax; Raymond Fol – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.

Lotus Blossom (CD: Hank Jones, “West of 5th,” Chesky Records – SACD313)

Recorded 2006

Hank Jones – piano; Christian McBride – bass; Jimmy Cobb – drums.

Lotus Blossom (CD: Duke Ellington, “An Intimate Piano Session,” Storyville – 1018445)

Recorded 25 August 1972, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano

— 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.

The Drum is a Wild Woman – Patricia G. Lespinasse

A Drum is a Woman/A Drum is a Woman – Part 2 (CD: “A Drum is a Woman” Sony Music Distribution COL4713202)

Recorded 25 September 1956, New York City

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombones; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Rick Henderson, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano and narration; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums; Margaret Tynes – vocal.

Sax Expat Don Byas – Con Chapman

Diminuendo in Blue (LP: “Paris Jazz Party” Affinity AFF 57)

Recorded 1 November 1969, Paris

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Ambrose Jackson, Harold “Money” Johnson – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Francois Guin, Chuck Connors – trombone; Don Byas, Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Johnny Hodges, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Victor Gaskin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

Duke Ellington’s Symphonic Visions – Luca Bragalini

La Scala, She Too Pretty to be Blue (CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Recorded 21 February 1963, Milan

Cootie Williams, Roy Burrowes, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Ernie Shepard – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums; La Scala Symphony Orchestra.

A Tone Parallel to Duke Ellington, The Man in the Music – Jack Chambers

Soul Soothing Beach (CD: “Duke Ellington Live at the Whitney” Impulse! IMP 11732)

Recorded 10 April 1972, Whitney Museum, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

Soul Soothing Beach (CD: “Togo Brava Suite” Blue Note Records 7243 8 30082)

Recorded 22 October 1971, Bristol, UK

Cootie Williams, Johnny Coles, Harold “Money” Johnson, Eddie Preston, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Booty Wood, Malcolm Taylor, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Minerve, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds ; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

Concerto for Cootie – The Life and Times of Cootie Williams – Steven C. Bowie

Charade (CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Recorded  19 May 1964, New York City

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Rolf Ericson – 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.

Bateau (LP: “Up In Duke’s Workshop” Pablo 2310-815)

Recorded 9 December 1970, New York City

Cootie Williams, Al Rubin, Cat Anderson, Harold “Money” Johnson – trumpet; Booty Wood, Malcolm Taylor, Chuck Connors – trombone; Norris Turney, Russell Procope, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Wild Bill Davis – organ; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – 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.

“At least one day out of the year all musicians should just put their instruments down, and give thanks to Duke Ellington.”

-Miles Davis

My Love (LP: “Duke Ellington’s Third Sacred Concert, The Majesty of God” RCA APL 1-0785)

Recorded 24 October 1973, Westminster Abbey, London

Mercer Ellington, Harold “Money” Johnson, Barry Lee Hall, Johnny Coles – trumpet; Vince Prudente, Art Baron, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Harold Minerve,  Harold Ashby, Percy Marion, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Quentin “Rocky” White – drum; Alice Babs – vocal.

My Love (CD: “Who Knows? The Uncovered Ellington” 33 Records 33 Jazz 104)

Recorded 21 July/8 October 2003 Bexley, UK

Brian Priestley – piano; Bruce Adams – trumpet; Frank Griffith – clarinet, tenor sax; Simon Woolf – bass; Steve Brown – drums.

Warm Valley (CD: “Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn” Palmetto Records)

Recorded 6/7 August 2023, Brooklyn

Brian Landrus – baritone sax, bass sax, bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet, piccolo, c flute, alto flute, bass flute; Dave Stryker – electric and acoustic guitar; Jay Anderson – acoustic bass; Billy Hart – drums.

Moonbow (CD: “Blues to Be There” Bandcamp)

Recorded  June 13/14 & July 19, 2022 Ferndale, MI

RJ Spangler, congas, bandleader ; James O’Donnell, Charlie Miller – trumpet; Tbone Paxton – trombone; Alex Colista, Goode Wyche III, Ryan Bills, Kasan Belgrave – reeds; Michael Zaporski, piano; Trevor Lamb, string bass; Sean Perlmutter, drums.

Moonbow ((CD: “The Reprise Studio Recordings” Mosaic Records #193)

Addi (CD: “Live in Poland (1971)” Squatty Roo Records – SR-0268)

Recorded 30 October 1971, Warsaw

Harold “Money” Johnson, Johnny Coles, Cootie Williams, Eddie Preston, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Booty Wood, Malcolm Taylor, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Minerve, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

Addi (CD: “Echoes of Harlem” Bandcamp)

Recorded January 3, 4 & 7 2024 Ann Arbor, MI

RJ Spangler, congas, bandleader ; James O’Donnell, Charlie Miller – trumpet; Tbone Paxton – trombone; Alex Colista, Goode Wyche III, Christopher Tabaczynski – reeds; Michael Zaporski, piano; Trevor Lamb, string bass; Sean Perlmutter, 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.

https://ellingtonreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/the-magazine-suite.mp3

“The Magazine Suite is an entirely new three-part composition. The band played it a few more times in 1945 and 1946 but never thereafter. It is remarkable how many Ellington compositions were allowed to sink without trace like this, suggesting that the Duke wrote much more than he could keep in his orchestra’s repertoire. This is a shame, as pieces like The Magazine Suite are full of invention.”

 – Tony Augarde

Down Beat Shuffle/Esquire Swank/Metronome All Out (CD: “Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Volume Five” Circle CCD-105)

Recorded 31 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 Hardwick, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

Metronome All Out (CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor ‎– 09026-63386-2)

Recorded 15 January 1946, New York City

Harry Edison, Pete Candoli, Neal Hefti, Sonny Berman – trumpet; Tommy Dorsey, Bill Harris, J C Higginbotham – trombone; Buddy De Franco, Herbie Fields, Johnny Hodges, Flip Phillips, George Auld, Harry Carney – reeds; Teddy Wilson – piano; Red Norvo – vibes; Tiny Grimes, Billy Bauer – guitar; Chubby Jackson – bass; Dave Tough – drums; Duke Ellington – conductor.

For more information, visit this link.

— 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.

“The Latin-American Suite was unusual in that it was written while we were actually touring Latin America for the first time in 1968. I had originally agreed with impresario Gary Keys, who was responsible for the Mexican part of the tour, to present a new work in Mexico City. Some importance was attached to this, for he was making a film of the trip.”

-Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress

The Mexican Suite (CD: “Duke Ellington Live in Mexico” Tring JHD016)

Recorded September 1968, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, 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.

Eque/Brasilliance (CD: “Latin American Suite” Fantasy OJCCD-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.

Tina

Recorded 7 January 1970, Las Vegas

Duke Ellington – piano; Jeff Castleman – bass; Rufus Jones – 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.