Welcome to the Duke’s Workshop: An Ellington Chronology
Welcome back to the Warehouse!
Starting tomorrow (and every Sunday for the next year), we’re embarking on a massive project: a chronological journey through the recording career of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington.
Duke famously said, "My instrument is not the piano, it's the orchestra," and over the next sixty-ish entries, you’ll hear exactly what he meant. This list isn't just a collection of songs; it’s a map of how American music evolved from the "Jungle Style" of the 1920s Cotton Club to the sophisticated, long-form suites of the 1950s.
What to Expect: For each entry in this archive, I’ve embedded a recording from my personal physical and digital collections. You’ll find:
The Original Ellington Masters: From the 1924 foundations to the 1959 brilliance of Anatomy of a Murder.
The Sidemen: Deep dives into the "side characters" like Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart, and Cat Anderson.
The Covers & Contemporaries: Fascinating "plus" recordings—versions by the Mills Brothers, Bing Crosby, and even the "Warehouse" favorite, Spike Jones—to show just how far Duke’s influence reached.
Whether you’re a lifelong "Duke-ophile" or a newcomer looking to understand why Ellington is considered America’s greatest composer, I hope this collection serves as a valuable resource.
Tomorrow, we’ll start at the very beginning...
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