Ellington Reflections
Reflections on the many facets of the world of Duke Ellington, sometimes referred to as “Ellingtonia.”
Episodes
August 31, 2026 • 36 mins
Sidney Bechet briefly played with Ellington in the mid-1920s. They never recorded together, but Bechet played Ellington music throughout his career. Continue reading
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July 29, 2026 • 53 mins
A 95th Birthday salute to guitarist, educator and Ellington advocate Kenny Burrell Continue reading
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May 29, 2026 • 35 mins
The Ellington band’s State Department tour in the fall of 1963 provided the inspiration for the pieces he and Billy Strayhorn composed that was originally titled “Impressions of the Far East” and later retitled the far east suite. Continue reading
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April 29, 2026 • 55 mins
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! Continue reading <...
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May 30, 2025 • 46 mins
Five Ellington related books, all published by University Press of Mississippi.
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April 29, 2025 • 48 mins
A birthday salute to Duke Ellington featuring Brian Priestley, Brian Landrus and the Planet D Nonet performing rarely covered Ellington compositions. Continue reading
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February 28, 2025 • 21 mins
“The Magazine Suite is an entirely new three-part composition. The band played it a few more times in 1945 and 1946 but never thereafter. It is remarkable how many Ellington compositions were allowed to sink without trace like this, suggesting that … Continue reading
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January 31, 2025 • 39 mins
"The Latin American Suite," from 1968 showed that despite advancing age and the recent death of his writing partner Billy Strayhorn, there was no end in Ellington's creativity. Continue reading
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December 28, 2024 • 60 mins
A look at the years Mercer Ellington led the Duke Ellington Orchestra (1974 to 1996). Continue reading
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November 25, 2024 • 50 mins
Part II of Portrait of Mercer Ellington, composer, arranger, trumpeter - and drummer... Continue reading
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April 29, 2024 • 48 mins
Happy Birthday, Duke! Duke Ellington was born on this date 125 years ago. Today also marks the 7th anniversary for podcast/blog Ellington Reflections. I’m currently editing my Cootie Williams biography and securing the necessary image permissions, so it may … Continue reading
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February 29, 2024 • 37 mins
Mercer Ellington, son of Duke Ellington, is an underrated contributor to the world of Ellingtonia. Continue reading
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January 31, 2024 • 62 mins
“Jimmy Jones is a close member of our musical family. Outside of our original version, he and Toby Hardwick were the first to do “Come Sunday.” I have had many different associations with him, the most notable being when we … Continue reading
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December 29, 2023 • 54 mins
Duke Ellington said of trumpeter Harold "Shorty" Baker that "his way of playing a melody was absolutely personal, and he had no bad notes at all." Continue reading
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December 1, 2023 • 45 mins
“Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Wellman Braud were like Jelly [Roll Morton]; they’d talk as long as anyone would listen and hung around outside the Band Box. After Braud got written up in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” column, he was … Continue reading
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October 29, 2023 • 43 mins
The recordings heard on this podcast episode: (CD: “Duke Ellington, The Centennial Edition” RCA Victor – 09026-63386-2) I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Recorded 30 October 1928 and 10 November 1928, NYC) Arthur Whetsel, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton … Continue reading
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September 29, 2023 • 32 mins
“As a trumpet player, [Arthur Whetsel] had a tonal personality that has never really been duplicated. Sweet, but not syrupy, nor schmaltzy, nor surrealistic, it had a superiority of extrasensory dimensions. Both as a soloist and from the point of … Continue reading
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August 29, 2023 • 45 mins
Multi-reedman Norris Turney became the first flute soloist featured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He was with the band for 4 years, leaving in 1973. Continue reading
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July 29, 2023 • 40 mins
In 1967, the west African nation of Togo released a postage stamp of Duke Ellington. Ellington reciprocated by writing the four movement Togo Brava Suite in 1971, the subject of this month’s episode of Ellington Reflections. Continue reading
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May 29, 2023 • 23 mins
“Then in 1960 we came up with Suite Thursday for the Monterey Festival that year…we tried to parallel John Steinbeck’s story, “Sweet Thursday,” which was set in Monterey’s Cannery Row.” Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress The recordings heard … Continue reading
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Mark as Played
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