Sundays with Duke #21: Echoing Through the Years

As we step into 1936 with Duke Ellington, we arrive at another classic - Echoes of Harlem.

Duke wrote this one as a showcase for the band’s growl‑trumpet master Cootie Williams, and it remains one of the most atmospheric portraits in the Ellington songbook.

The First Echo: Brunswick, 1935

Let’s start with the original Brunswick recording:

A perfect spotlight for Cootie — so perfect, in fact, that he adopted it as his theme song.

The Small‑Group Mood: Cootie's Rug Cutters (1938)

Duke didn’t make another studio recording of the tune, though he played it live for years.

He did join Cootie for a small‑group Vocalion session in 1938, issued under Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters:

Not exactly rug‑cutting material, but a beautifully moody variation.

The Admirer’s Tribute: Charlie Barnet (1939)

Next comes a non‑Ellington version from one of Duke’s biggest admirers, Charlie Barnet, who recorded the tune for Bluebird in 1939:

A really cool reading - respectful, swinging, and unmistakably Barnet. Of note is that Cootie is listed as a co-writer on this label, but I don't think I've seen such a credit any where else!

The Theme Song Lives On: Cootie’s Capitol Version (1946)

Since Echoes of Harlem was Cootie’s theme, he revisited it several times with his own band.

Here’s a lovely 1946 version for Capitol:

Capitol records from those days sound great - and this one’s no exception.

Little Jazz Steps In: Roy Eldridge (1951)

Another trumpet titan, Roy Eldridge, clearly loved the tune as well. He recorded it more than once; here’s his 1951 take for the small Prestige label:

“Little Jazz” always sounded awesome — and he brings a different kind of fire to the piece.

A Capitol Echo: Jonah Jones & Glen Gray (1962)

Speaking of great‑sounding Capitol records, here’s one more: Jonah Jones with his Quartet, backed by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, from 1962:

Those late‑’50s/early‑’60s Glen Gray albums are gems - and I always love how Glen is dressed on those covers!

Cootie’s showcase truly echoes through the years, inspiring trumpeters across generations and giving each era its own shade of Harlem twilight.