No video, but the music is what counts. The first version features the Ellington band playing an arrangement by Billy Strayhorn, from the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, with Monk himself at the piano. The second, more interesting, from my perspective, is a “private collection” recording from 1962. The second arrangement, which may or may not…
Tag: Duke Ellington
The Mooche si, The Mooch no
Some while back, I posted a dismissive note on Facebook regarding the highly welcome departure of Anthony “the Mooch” Scaramucci, to wit: “The Mooche is mooted and muted. Suck on this, Tony: You’re history.” Well, Tony is history, but I unfortunately misspelled his nickname, as a jazz buff might, because there are two famous “Mooches”…
“The Jeep’s Blues”—It’s no hustle
If you saw American Hustle you know the tune that starts and ends the film, “The Jeep’s Blues,” performed by the Duke Ellington orchestra. This is the tune that brings Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) together. I rather doubt that many seventies strippers and conmen were into fifties Ellington, but whatever….