“At Columbia University’s New College, where I was studying engineering, my instructors constantly inquired whether I had written any songs. I was persuaded to sit down and play several of my compositions for them. Next they demanded why I wasn’t studying music formally. Their insistence convinced me that I ought to take a try.” Mercer Ellington, Negro Digest, May 1951 https://ellingtonreflectionsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/portrait-of-mercer-ellington-part-i.mp3 Mercer Kennedy Ellington Mercer Ellington can be seen briefly as part of one of the dancing couples in this 1941 video  ..read more

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“Harold “Shorty” Baker came into the band in 1942 to give us our first trumpet section of four. He joined Ray Nance, Rex Stewart, and Wallace Jones, and with his phenomenal phrasing and tone control he was an immense asset. He ad-libbed hot or blues as though he were recalling some beautiful dreams of St. Louis, his home and birthplace. His way of playing a melody was absolutely personal, and he had no bad notes at all.” – Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress Duke Ellington and his Orchestra – El Gato Harold “Shorty” Baker (1914-1966) The recordings heard on this podcast episode: I Can’t B ..read more

“Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Wellman Braud were like Jelly [Roll Morton]; they’d talk as long as anyone would listen and hung around outside the Band Box. After Braud got written up in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” column, he was too big for anybody. Ripley said he could pick faster than any bass player. He quit Duke’s band and started one of his own. He got a nice little band together to play a place over in Jersey. He talked so much to the man who owned the place about where to put the tables and how things were in the wrong place, the man told him to get his band together and get the hell ..read more

The recordings heard on this podcast episode: (CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor ‎– 09026-63386-2) I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Recorded 30 October 1928 and 10 November 1928, NYC) Arthur Whetsel, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Irving Mills, Baby Cox – vocal. When A Black Man’s Blue (Record 21 November 1930 and 10 December 1930, NYC) Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton, J ..read more

https://ellingtonreflectionsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/portrait-of-arthur-whetsel.mp3 “As a trumpet player, [Arthur Whetsel] had a tonal personality that has never really been duplicated. Sweet, but not syrupy, nor schmaltzy, nor surrealistic, it had a superiority of extrasensory dimensions. Both as a soloist and from the point of view of teamwork, he was a fine musician. Everything with him had to be of the best, and he was one of the really good readers.” Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress Arthur Parker Whetsel [1905-1940]     Duke Ellington and his orchestra, with Arth ..read more

https://ellingtonreflectionsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2023/08/portrait-of-norris-turney.mp3 Norris Turney (Photo by Jan Persson) The recordings heard on this podcast episode: Checkered Hat (CD: “Togo Brava Suite” Storyville Records STCD 8323) Recorded 3 February 1971, New York City Cootie Williams, Eddie Preston, Harold “Money” Johnson, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Booty Wood, Malcolm Taylor, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Wild Bill Davis – organ; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums ..read more

In 1967, the west African nation of Togo released a postage stamp of Duke Ellington. Ellington reciprocated by writing the four movement Togo Brava Suite in 1971, the subject of this month’s episode of Ellington Reflections. 1967 Togo postage stamp celebrating Duke Ellington A performance of the Togo Brava Suite performed by the European Broadcasting Union Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Andrew Homzy The recordings heard on this podcast episode: Togo Brava Suite (CD: “Togo Brava Suite” Storyville Records STCD 8323) Recorded 28 June 1971, New York City Cootie Williams, Richard Willia ..read more

https://ellingtonreflectionsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/city-of-lights.mp3 ELLINGTON MEETING 2023 Since 1981, Ellington experts from around the world have been meeting every year in order to exchange and share their knowledge about Duke Ellington’s work and life. After the US, England, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, La Maison du Duke welcomes for the first time in France the international symposium dedicated to one of the greatest creators of the 20th century. 27/28/29 avril – DUKE AND THE LIGHTS A red thread articula ..read more

  https://ellingtonreflectionsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/one-more-once.mp3 The recordings heard on this podcast episode: Under construction!   — 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 ..read more