On the Air

Discography Browser

  • Masterpieces by Ellington
  • The 1953 Pasadena Concert
  • Ellington Uptown
  • The Duke Plays Ellington [Capitol]
  • Ellington '55
  • The Duke and His Men
  • Ellington at Newport
  • Historically Speaking: The Duke
  • Duke Ellington and the Buck Clayton All-Stars at Newport
  • A Drum Is a Woman
  • Such Sweet Thunder
  • Indigos
  • The Cosmic Scene: Duke Ellington's Spacemen
  • Newport 1958
  • Black, Brown and Beige
  • Festival Session
  • Side by Side
  • Jazz Party
  • Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues
  • Anatomy of a Murder [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
  • Piano in the Background
  • Duke Ellington: Three Suites
  • Blues in Orbit
  • Recording Together for the First Time
  • First Time! The Count Meets the Duke
  • Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
  • Duke Ellington And His Orchestra Featuring Paul Gonsalves
  • Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
  • Money Jungle
  • Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
  • Will Big Bands Ever Come Back?
  • The Symphonic Ellington
  • My People
  • The Great Paris Concert [Atlantic]
  • Afro-Bossa
  • Ellington '65
  • Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins
  • Concert in the Virgin Islands
  • Ella at Duke's Place
  • Orchestral Works
  • Soul Call
  • Serenade to Sweden
  • Sacred Music
  • The Popular Duke Ellington
  • Francis A. & Edward K.
  • Ella & Duke at the Côte D'Azur
  • Duke Ellington's Far East Suite
  • ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
  • Yale Concert
  • Second Sacred Concert
  • New Orleans Suite
  • Latin American Suite
  • The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
  • Togo Brava Suite
  • This One's for Blanton
  • Up in Duke's Workshop
  • Eastbourne Performance
  • Collages
  • Duke Ellington's Third Sacred Concert
  • Music Is My Mistress
  • American Songbook Series: Duke Ellington
  • Mood Indigo: Capitol Sings Duke Ellington
  • Play On [Original Broadway Cast]
  • Jazz Hits, Vol. 1
  • Duke Ellington: Queenie Pie
  • Paris Blues [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
  • Assault On a Queen [Music from the Motion Picture]
  • That's Life: Nicole Herzog Meets Don Menza

Release Date

March 4, 2008

Duration

43:48

Genre

Styles

Recording Date

March 18, 1937 & January 9, 1940
Submit Corrections

Album Moods

Album Themes

Duke Ellington

On the Air

Add to Custom List

Add to My Collection

  • AllMusic Rating
    6
  • User Ratings (0)
  • Your Rating

AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos

Duke Ellington's band was not as prolific as other groups that broadcast shows live on the radio, but these recordings hint at what they did over the airwaves. Complete sessions from 1937 at the Cotton Club in Harlem and the Southland Cafe in Boston from 1940 are available elsewhere. This collection skims the surface, clocking in on CD at a scant total of 42 minutes. The Cotton Club dates feature many of Ellington's best-known pieces like "Sophisticated Lady," "Rockin' in Rhythm," and "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," but the sound is thin and muddy. Production values in Boston are a bit better, but the repertoire is removed from famous, including "Grievin'," "Little Posey," and "Tootin' Through the Roof," among others. Collectors would have interest in the Beantown broadcast, but then again, a search for the comprehensive works from these dates would be a wiser choice.

Track Listing

Sample Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1
Harlem Speaks
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 04:16 Amazon
2
Caravan
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 04:36 Amazon
3
One Two Button Your Shoe
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 03:17 Amazon
4
Sophisticated Lady
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Mitchell Parish
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 03:22 Amazon
5
Rockin' in Rhythm
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 04:56 Amazon
6
East St Louis Toodle-Oo
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 00:44 Amazon
7
Grievin'
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 03:32 Amazon
8
Little Posey
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 03:08 Amazon
9
The Gal from Joe's
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 03:59 Amazon
10
Tootin' Through the Roof
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 04:57 Amazon
11
Day in Day Out
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 04:31 Amazon
12
Merry Go Round
Duke Ellington feat: Duke Ellington & His Orchestra 02:30 Amazon
blue highlight denotes track pick