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Duke Ellington

Beginning in the 1940s, Duke Ellington devoted his main creative energies to composing suites, based on his impressions of places and themes. Geoffrey Smith highlights Ellingtonian images ranging from the Deep South to the Far East, Shakespeare and H.M. the Queen.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 17 Apr 201600:00
BBC Radio 3

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Billie Holiday and Lester Young

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Shakespeare

See all episodes from Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

Music Played

  • Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington

    Balcony Serenade

    • The Indespensable.
    • RCA.
    • 4.

  • Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington & Junior Raglin

    Dancers In Love

    • Black, Brown & Beige.
    • Bluebird.
    • 12.

  • Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington

    Happy Go Lucky Local

    • La Grande Histoire du Jazz.
    • Le Chant du Monde.
    • 6.

  • Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington & The Duke Ellington Orchestra

    Such Sweet Thunder

    • SUCH SWEET THUNDER.
    • COLUMBIA/LEGACY.
    • 1.

  • Duke Ellington

    Half the Fun

    • Such Sweet Thunder.
    • Columbia.
    • 11.

  • Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington

    The Single Petal of A Rose

    • The Queen's Suite.
    • PABLO.
    • 5.

  • Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

    Misfit Blues

    • The Great Paris Concert.
    • Atlantic Jazz.
    • 9.

  • Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

    Schwiphti

    • The Great Paris Concert.
    • Atlantic Jazz.
    • 10.

  • Duke Ellington

    Agra

    • The Far East Suite.
    • Bluebird.
    • 7.

  • Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

    Ad Lib On Nippon

    • The Far East Suite.
    • Bluebird.
    • 9.

  • Duke Ellington & Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

    The Sleeping Lady And The Giant Who Watches Over Here

    • Latin American Suite.
    • Original Jazz Classics.
    • 5.

Performers:

Title: Balcony Serenade
Artist: Duke Ellington 
Composer: Billy Strayhorn 
Album Title: The Indispensable
Label: RCA Catalogue No: NL 89972 
Duration: 03’05 
Performers: Shelton Hemphill, James ‘Taft’ Jordan, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, trumpet; Tricky Sam Nanton, Claude Jones, Lawrence Brown, trombone; Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, alto saxophone; Al Sears, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone; Duke Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, guitar; Alvin ‘Junior’ Raglin, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

Title: Dancers in Love
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Indispensable
Label: RCA Catalogue No: NL 89972
Duration: 02’16 
Performers: Shelton Hemphill, James ‘Taft’ Jordan, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, trumpet; Tricky Sam Nanton, Claude Jones, Lawrence Brown, trombone; Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, alto saxophone; Al Sears, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone; Duke Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, guitar; Alvin ‘Junior’ Raglin, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

Title: Happy Go Lucky Local
Artist: Duke Ellington 
Composers: Edward Kennedy/Mercer Ellington 
Album Title: La Grande Histoire du Jazz 
Label: Le Chant du Monde Catalogue No: 5741918ADD7645 
Duration: 05’27 
Performers: Taft Jordan, Harold ‘Shorty’ Baker, Ray Nance, Shelton Hemphill, Cat Anderson, trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones, Wilbur De Paris, trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone; Russell Procope, alto saxophone, clarinet; Al Sears, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone, clarinet; Duke Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, guitar; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Sonny Greer, drums.

Title: Such Sweet Thunder
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn
Album Title: Such Sweet Thunder
Label: Columbia Catalogue No: CK-65568 
Duration: 03’19
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, alto saxophones; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone; William ‘Cat’ Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, trumpets; Quentin Jackson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman, trombones; Jimmy Woode, bass; Sam Woodyard, drums.

Title: Half the fun
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: Such Sweet Thunder
Label: Columbia/Legacy Catalogue No: CK-65568
Duration: 04’16
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, alto saxophones; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone; William ‘Cat’ Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, trumpets; Quentin Jackson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman, trombones; Jimmy Woode, bass; Sam Woodyard, drums.

Title: The Single Petal of a Rose
Artist: Duke Ellington 
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Queen's Suite 
Label: PABLO Catalogue No: PACD-2405 401-2 
Duration: 04’04 
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Ray Nance, trumpets; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders, trombones; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, reeds; Jimmy Woode, bass; Jimmy Johnson, drums.

Title: Misfit Blues
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Great Paris Concert
Label: Atlantic Catalogue No: 7567813032-2
Duration: 03’37
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson & Roy Burrowes, trumpets; Ray Nance, cornet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper & Chuck Connors, trombones; Johnny Hodges, alto saxphone; Russell Procope, clarinet & alto saxophone; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet & tenor saxophone; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone & clarinets; Ernie Shepard, bass; Sam Woodyard, drums.

Title: Schwiphti
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Great Paris Concert
Label: Atlantic Catalogue No: 7567813032-2
Duration: 02’51
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson & Roy Burrowes, trumpets; Ray Nance, cornet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper & Chuck Connors, trombones; Johnny Hodges, alto saxphone; Russell Procope, clarinet & alto saxophone; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet & tenor saxophone; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harry Carney, baritone saxophone & clarinets; Ernie Shepard, bass; Sam Woodyard, drums.

Title: Agra
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Far East Suite
Label: Bluebird Catalogue No: 078636-655 
Duration: 02’34
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Mercer Ellington, Cootie Williams, trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper,trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, clarinet and saxophones, Jon Lamb, bass; Rusus Jones, drums.

Title Ad Lib in Nippon
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington
Album Title: The Far East Suite
Label: Bluebird Catalogue No: 078636-655 
Duration: 11’34 
Performers: Duke Ellington, piano; Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Mercer Ellington, Cootie Williams, trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper,trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, clarinet and saxophones, Jon Lamb, bass; Rusus Jones, drums

Title: The Sleeping Lady and the Giant Who Watches Over Here
Artist: Duke Ellington
Composers: Duke Ellington 
Album Title: Latin American Suite 
Label: Original Jazz Classics Catalogue No: OJC20-469-2 
Duration: 07’24 
Performers: Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Mercer Ellington, Cootie Williams – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper – trombone; Chuck Connors - bass trombone; Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone; Russell Procope - alto saxophone, clarinet; Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophone; Harold Ashby - tenor saxophone, clarinet; Harry Carney - baritone saxophone; Jeff Castleman, bass; Rufus Jones - drums

Broadcast

  • Sun 17 Apr 201600:00
    BBC Radio 3

Podcast

  • Geoffrey Smith's Jazz

    Geoffrey Smith's Jazz - a weekly sequence exploring what makes great jazz great music