SELLEST OSAST
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.
