Ellington Reflections

The Ellington band’s State Department tour in the fall of 1963 provided the inspiration for the pieces he and Billy Strayhorn composed that was originally titled “Impressions of the Far East” and later retitled the far east suite.

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! Continue reading →

Five Ellington related books, all published by University Press of Mississippi. Continue reading →

A birthday salute to Duke Ellington featuring Brian Priestley, Brian Landrus and the Planet D Nonet performing rarely covered Ellington compositions. Continue reading →

"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 … Continue reading →

"The Latin American Suite," from 1968 showed that despite advancing age and the recent death of his writing partner Billy Strayhorn, there was no end in Ellington's creativity. Continue reading →

A look at the years Mercer Ellington led the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1974 to 1996). Continue reading →

Part II of Portrait of Mercer Ellington, composer, arranger, trumpeter - and drummer... Continue reading →

  Happy Birthday, Duke!  Duke Ellington was born on this date 125 years ago. Today also marks the 7th anniversary for podcast/blog Ellington Reflections.  I’m currently editing my Cootie Williams biography and securing the necessary image permissions, so it may … Continue reading →

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

Details to follow!!!!!

Duke Ellington said of trumpeter Harold "Shorty" Baker that "his way of playing a melody was absolutely personal, and he had no bad notes at all." Continue reading →

"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 … Continue reading →

The recordings heard on this podcast episode:   Wallace Jones, 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 … Continue reading →

"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 … Continue reading →

Multi-reedman Norris Turney became the first flute soloist featured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He was with the band for 4 years, leaving in 1973. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

"Then in 1960 we came up with Suite Thursday for the Monterey Festival that year…we tried to parallel John Steinbeck's story, "Sweet Thursday," which was set in Monterey's Cannery Row." Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress   The recordings heard … Continue reading →

Celebrating the 124th anniversary of the birth of Duke Ellington and the 6th birthday for Ellington Reflections with a Parisian themed episode in honor of the 2023 Ellington Conference being held in the City of Lights. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

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

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 →

During his 22 year sabbatical from the Duke Ellington orchestra, Cootie Williams continued to feature music from the Ellington songbook. Continue reading →

During his 22 year sabbatical from the Duke Ellington orchestra, Cootie Williams continued to feature music from the Ellington songbook. Continue reading →

The New York Choral Society, New York’s pioneering symphonic chorus that explores unique collaboration and dynamic repertory, in partnership with The New School College of Performing Arts, presents Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, November 18 and 19 at the Tishman Auditorium at The New School. Continue reading →