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!
Aaron Diehl and Adam Birnbaum play Tonk
Rent Party Blues
The recordings heard on this podcast episode:
Let the Zoomers Drool (CD: “World Broadcasting Series, Volume 4” Circle CCD-104)
Recorded 3 January 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 Hardwicke, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Junior Raglin – bass; Sonny Greer – drums
Let the Zoomers Drool (CD: Dial & Oatts, Rich DeRosa, The WDR Big Band “Rediscovered Ellington, New Takes on Duke’s Rare & Unheard Music” Zoho Music ZM 201707 )
Released 2017
Ruud Breuls, Rob Bruynen, Andy Haderer, John Marshall – trumpet; Ludwig Nuss, Shannon Barnett, Mattis Cederberg, Andy Hunter – trombone; Dick Oatts, Olivier Peters, Paul Heller, Johan Hörlén, Jens Neufang, Karolina Strassmayer – reeds; Garry Dial – piano; John Goldsby – bass; Hans Dekker – drums; Rich DeRosa – arranger and conductor.
Oclupaca (CD: “Latin American Suite” Original Jazz Classics OJCCD-469-2)
Recorded 5 November 1968, New York City
Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Willie Cook – trumpets; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombones; Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jeff Castleman – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.
Oclupaca (CD: Frederic Couderc “Kirkophonie” Cristal 26)
Recorded
Frederic Couderc – bass saxophone; Vincent Bourgeyx – piano
Rent Party Blues (CD: “Early Ellington: The Original Decca Recordings (The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931)” Decca GRD-3-640)
Recorded 1 March 1929, New York City
Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, 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
Rent Party Blues (CD: Duo Campion-Vachon “Duke Ellington: Four Handed Piano” Analekta AN 29820)
Recorded 12/14 November 2004
Guy Campion, Mario Vachon – piano.
Don’t You Know I Care? (Or Don’t You Care To Know) (CD: “Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque” Sony Music Distribution COL4691362)
Recorded 14 July 1960, Los Angeles
Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone; Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone; Harry Carney – baritone saxophone; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Don’t You Know I Care? (Or Don’t You Care To Know) (CD: “Cool Rock” Laserlight
15782)
Recorded 12 June 1972, New York City
Cootie Williams, Harold “Money” Johnson, Mercer Ellington, Johnny Coles – trumpet; Tyree Glenn, Vincente Prudente, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, NorrisTurney, Harold Minerve, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.
Don’t You Know I Care? (Or Don’t You Care To Know) (CD: Archie Shepp “Day Dream” Denon – DC-8547)
Recorded 3 June 1977, New York City
Archie Shepp – soprano sax; Walter Davis – piano; Earl May – bass; Philly Joe Jones – drums.
Portrait of Wellman Braud (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.
Portrait of Wellman Braud (CD: Stefon Harris, “African Tarantella: Dances with Duke” – Blue Note 41090)
Released 2006
Personnel: Stefon Harris – vibraphone, marimba; Xavier Davis – piano; Derrick Hodge – bass; Terreon Gully – drums; Anne Drummond – flute; Greg Tardy – clarinet; Steve Turre – trombone; Junah Chung – viola; Louise Dubin – cello.
Tonk (CD: “Live at the Blue Note” Blue Note CDS 8286372)
Recorded 9 August 1959, Chicago
Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Tonk (CD: Randy Sandke and the Inside Out Band “Outside In” Evening Star Records – ES 110)
Recorded 18/26 January 2005, New York City
Randy Sandke – trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon, Ray Anderson – trombone; Ken Peplowski, Marty Ehrlich, Scott Robinson – reeds; Uri Caine – piano; Howard Alden – guitar; Greg Cohen -bass; Dennis Mackrel – 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.