Dr. Lisa M. Clark’s thesis, Synchrony of the Sublime: A Performer ‘s Guide to Duke Ellington’s Wordless Melodies for Soprano can be found here
Adelaide Hall [1901-1993]
“The Victor recording of Creole Love Call introduces a device which Ellington was to use at intervals throughout his career – the blending of a wordless female voice with the instrumental textures. The singer her is Adelaide Hall, and the first chorus presents the main them sung by her over three low-register clarinets, a delicious tonal combination…”
-Eddie Lambert, Duke Ellington: A Listener’s Guide
Kay Davis [ 1920-2012]
“Kay Davis was an honor student of Northwestern University, where she studied opera and majored in music. She had perfect pitch, could sight-read, and had all the gifts, so we decided to use her voice as an instrument. This was in addition to her interpretations of regular songs with words, and it proved very successful on several numbers.”
-Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress
Alice Babs [1924-2014]
“[Alice Babs] is just one of the rare people, one of the rarest artists. Whenever I get an opportunity to do anything I feel is out of the ordinary, I think of her. So when I got ready to do my second sacred concert in 1968, where I had to go up over the top of the first, I sent to Sweden to bring her to New York. There were a couple of things in that concert which required real musicianship, which had to read and executed just as they were planned, and she was the one I had complete confidence in to do that. She is a terrific musician, and when I look at the pictures of her taken in the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine – why, I think she looks like an angel! She is a beautiful person who has overcome the problem of singing as pretty as she looks. In referring to her, one never says, “There are just a few left,” because she was probably the only one born.”
-Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress
The recordings heard on this podcast episode:
Creole Love Call/Blues I Love To Sing (CD: Early Ellington (1927 – 1934), Bluebird 6852-2-RB)
Recorded 26 October 1927, New York City
Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf – trumpet; Joe Nanton – trombone; Rudy Jackson, Otto Hardwicke, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums, Adelaide Hall – vocal.
Transbluency ( A Blue Fog That you can almost see through) (CD: “Black, Brown & Beige” Bluebird 6641-2-RB)
Recorded 9 July 1946, Los Angeles
Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson, Francis Williams, Ray Nance, Harold Baker – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Wilbur De Paris, Claude Jones – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Oscar Pettiford – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Kay Davis – vocal.
The Beautiful Indians: Minnehaha (CD: “The Jazz Collector Editor ” Laserlight Digital 15 753)
Recorded 5 December 1946, New York City
Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan, Francis Williams, Reunald Jones, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Wilbur DeParis, Claude Jones – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Oscar Pettiford – bass; Sonny Greer – drums. Kay Davis – vocal.
On a Turquoise Cloud (CD: “Duke Ellington: The Columbia Years 1927-1962” Columbia 5176872)
Recorded 22 December 1947, New York City
Ray Nance – violin; Lawrence Brown, Tyree Glenn – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Oscar Pettiford, Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Kay Davis – vocal.
T.G.T.T. – Duke Ellington (LP: “Second Sacred Concert” Prestige P-24045)
Recorded 22 January 1968, New York City
Duke Ellington – electric piano; Alice Babs – vocal.
— 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.
Birmingham Breakdown (CD: “Early Ellington – The Complete Brunswick And Vocalion Recordings Of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931” Decca/MCA Records GRD-3-640)
Birmingham Breakdown (CD: “Cotton Club 1938, Volume 1” Galaxy Music – 3801122)
Doin’ The Voom Voom(CD: “The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)
Rent Party Blues (CD: ”The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion and Okeh Small Group Sessions” Mosaic Records #235)
Black Beauty (CD: “Black, Brown & Beige” Bluebird 6641-2-RB)
On the Sunny Side of the Street (CD: “The Complete Lionel Hampton Victor Sessions 1937-1941” Mosaic Records MD5-238)
On the Sunny Side of the Street (LP: “Indiana Live Session, June 1945” Musidisc – JA 5135)
Mood to be Woo’ed (CD: “Duke Ellington 
Castle Rock (CD: “Johnny Hodges – Seven Classic Albums” Real Gone – RGJCD312)
Tiger Rag, 3rd, 4th And 5th Strains (CD: “Jelly Roll Morton – The Complete Library Of Congress Recordings By Alan Lomax” Rounder Records – ROUNDER 11661-1888-2)
Before My Time (from The Controversial Suite) (LP: “The Complete Duke Ellington 1947-1952” (French) CBS 66607/J)
Strange Feeling (CD: “The African Flower – The Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn” )
