The Intimate Duke Ellington

A warm, intimate window into a master at work, full of sly wit and effortless swing.

Genres

Music

Starring

Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves

Overview

Duke Ellington's fifty year career was full of accomplishments as a highly original pianist, arranger, prolific composer and leader of a timeless orchestra. On occasion he recorded with a small group from his orchestra or as a piano soloist, but Duke was rarely filmed in that capacity... with a few exceptions. On January 23, 1967, Ellington filmed two programs for Danish television. The first has him jamming with an octet taken from his orchestra, including such greats as altoist Johnny Hodges, tenor-saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, baritonist Harry Carney and trumpeter Cat Anderson. Highlights include "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," "Sophisitcated Lady" and "Jam with Sam." The second program puts the focus on Ellington's piano, in solo and trio performances that include "Lotus Blossom," "Mood Indigo," and a definitive version of "Take the 'A' Train." Always a modern and distinctive soloist, Ellington is seen creating brilliant improvisations full of strong melodies, subtle surprises and sly wit.

How it feels

Warm, light, whimsical and earnest. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Music, art, identity

Content

No violence, gore, sexual content or swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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