Sundays with Duke #1: 1924 – The First Bricks (Choo Choo & Rainy Nights)

Welcome back to the Warehouse!

As we kick off the new year, I’m thrilled to begin a journey I’ve been planning for some time: Sundays with Duke. Every Sunday, we’re going to look at a Duke Ellington recording in chronological order, tracing the evolution of a genius, one 78rpm disc at a time.

To understand the skyscraper, you have to look at the first brick. For Duke, that brick is Blu-Disc T1002, recorded in November 1924. This single record contains the two poles of the Ellington world.

At this stage, the band is still The Washingtonians, but in addition to Duke, the band already includes long-running core Ellington band members Sonny Greer on drums, Otto Hardwick on alto sax and (maybe) Fred Guy on banjo, along with original trumpet star Bubber Miley! The mostly obscure trombonist Charlie Irvis rounds out the sextet of musicians.

OK, so what about the music? Let's dig in...

The "A" Side: Choo Choo

"Choo Choo" is a classic 1920s novelty "pep" tune. It’s light, it’s rhythmic, and it features a literal train-whistle imitation that was the "viral hook" of its day.

What to Listen For:

• The Whistle: A fun novelty touch, but notice how tight the rhythm section is underneath it.
• The Energy: This is a young band hungry to make a mark. You can hear the raw enthusiasm of Bubber Miley and Sonny Greer through the thin, acoustic recording. 

Let’s give it a spin:

 

Even in this early 1924 session with the Washingtonians, you can hear the seeds of his genius - specifically his lifelong fascination with the rhythms and whistles of the American railroad. It’s the first link in a chain that leads directly to later masterpieces like Daybreak Express and Happy-Go-Lucky Local.

The "B" Side: Rainy Nights

If "Choo Choo" is the train leaving the station, "Rainy Nights" is the feeling of looking out the window at the dark city passing by. This is the "Warehouse Secret" of this session. Even in 1924, Duke wasn't just interested in catchy tunes; he was interested in atmosphere.

What to Listen For:

• The Mood: It’s slower, moodier, and hints at the "Indigo" textures Duke would master a decade later.
• The Trumpet: Listen to Bubber Miley. You can already hear the beginnings of that soulful, "vocal" horn style that would define the band’s identity at the Cotton Club.

 Let’s give it a listen: 

You can’t really hear Duke’s piano there, but in those days of acoustical recording with everyone playing into one giant horn, we had to take what we could get! Within a couple of years, the advent of electrical recording allowed for more subtlety in the band’s recordings.

The Warehouse Perspective

Starting with these two tracks reminds us that Duke’s genius didn't appear out of thin air—it was built on the foundation of 1920s dance music. Whether he was playing a "pep" tune or a "mood" piece, the technical discipline was already there.

I feel like we're almost at the point where you can enjoy the two sides as entertainment here in 2026, not just as a history lesson, if you know what I mean.

It’s the start of a journey from a "novelty" band to the greatest orchestra in history. I hope you’ll join me every Sunday as we watch that transformation happen and we build that skyscraper, one "brick" at a time.

Update: For additional information about Choo Choo, click here!