Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

Bring this to light ...

Verve

I think that it was be presumptuous to introduce "the Duke"

so much vast, colossal is his work !

He wrote the most jazz-standards ! It's staggering, really !

Consequently, I simply relate this day; His 70th anniversary, with this album:

A very nice album !

"1969, All star white house tribute to Duke Ellington"

Song'title you listen: It don't mean a think (If it ain't got that swing) by Dave Brubeck

Since I listen TSF,

I never hear this version.

Whow !

Duke Ellington ( of course)
Guest pianistes on this album : Dave Brubeck , Earl Hines and Billy Taylor
Birthday party at the white house 1969

A spring rain freshened Washington DC.
Duke Ellington arrived at the house where his father worked as a part-time buffer in the Harding administration. It was the evening of the day, 29 April 1969 and Duke found the white house aglow with adulation.
The president Richard Nixon was giving him a 70^th birthday party and a medal of freedom.
Dinner guests assembled in the Cross Hall and examined cabinets holding historic presidential china while President and Mrs R. Nixon showed Ellington and his sister Ruth the privates quarters.
The tour included a demonstration of the new stereo system.
Downstairs, musicians from the Marine Band played Ellington’ melodies.
At dinner, for eighty, Ellington responded for to the toast in his honor with the heartfelt note:
“There is no place ! would rather be tonight in my mother’s arm”
After dessert, Duke and his host greeted a hundred more guests, who milled around sipping champagne and listening to a trio from the Navy band.Among his friends and admirers celebrating the maestro was Willie “ the Lion” Smith in his customary uniform of derby, cigar, and black framed glasses.

*Two days earlier, in “ The Washington Star, the novelist Ralph Ellison wrote:*
“ Place Ellington with Hemingway. They are both masters of that witch is most enduring in the human enterprise: The power of man to define himself against the ravages of time through artistic style.”
In short, as Franck Sinatra said : "It was a very good day" Wasn't it ?

Band'Artists
trumpet/ flugelhorn
Bill Berry	Clark Terry
Trombones
Urbie Green	J.J.Johnson
Sax : Alto / Bariton
Paul Desmond	/Gerry Mulligan

Piano	Hank Jones
guitar	Jim Hall

Bass	Milt Hinton
Drums	Louis Bellson
Singers
Mary Mayo and Joe William

Other English texts

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