Portrait of Mercer Ellington, Part II (Podcast #24-004)

Ellington Reflections

“[Duke Ellington] has set forth a restlessness, a music that has made for progress over three decades. Devoting myself to the things he has come to represent, doing what I can to enlarge on such a solid basis, I fell that I can perpetuate ‘the tradition,’ and eventually find myself.” – Mercer Ellington, 1958

Here’s the link to make a donation to USC Arcadia Hospital: https://www.uscarcadiahospital.org/foundation/make-a-donation/

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The recordings heard on this podcast episode:

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Messy Bessie / She’s Got Blues for Sale

Recorded 18 March 1946, New York City

Mercer Ellington Octet With Jacques Butler : Jacques “Jack” Butler – trumpet, vocal; Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Al Sears – tenor sax; Harry Carney – baritone sax; Leonard Feather – piano; Mary Osborne – guitar; Bill Pemberton – bass; Heyward Jackson – drums.

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Summertime

Recorded Spring 1947, New York City

Al Hibbler Acc By Mercer Ellington And His Orchestra : Al Hibbler (vcl) Probable personnel — Abdul Salaam, Dave Burns, Kenny Dorham, Bennie Roy – trumpet; Candy Ross, Charley Johnson – trombone; Jackie Fields, Morris Lane, Alva McCain, Henry Richards – reeds; Luther Henderson – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Heyward Jackson – drums.

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Pass Me By / Metronome All Out

Recorded 17 May 1946, New York City

Mercer Ellington And His Orchestra : Kenny Dorham, Bobby Williams, Ray Copeland, Eddie Boozier – trumpet; Ted Kelly, Dan Minor, Charles Stovall – trombone; Curby Alexander, Jackie Fields, Fred Williams, Alva McCain, Harry Webster – reeds; Luther Henderson – piano; Bill Pemberton – bass; Heyward Jackson – drums; Carmen Clarke – vocal.

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My, My, My / Baby, Where’d you go

Recorded 2 July 1951, New York City

The Cabineers and the Mercer Ellington Quartet : Billy Taylor – piano; Sal Salvador – guitar; Sam Bell – bass; Mercer Ellington – drums.

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CD: Stepping into Swing Society, Mercer Ellington and his Orchestra (Fresh Sound Records FSR-CD 531)

Indelible / Ruint / Be Patient

Recorded 17 July 1958, New York City

Cat Anderson, Harold “Shorty” Baker, Clark Terry – trumpet; Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Ben Webster, Harry Carney – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Carl Lynch – guitar; George Duvivier – bass; Sam Bailey – drums.

Broadway Babe

Recorded 22 July 1958, New York City

Cat Anderson, Harold “Shorty” Baker, Clark Terry – trumpet; Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Ben Webster, Harry Carney – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Skeeter Best – guitar; Wendell Marshall – bass; Sam Bailey – drums.

Maroon /Coral Rock / Blue Serge/ Dawn of a Greenhorn

Recorded July 1959, New York City

Cat Anderson, Harold “Shorty” Baker, Clark Terry – trumpet; Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Harold Ashby, Harry Carney – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Les Spann – guitar; Wendell Marshall – bass; Gus Johnson – drums.

— Our closing music—-

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.