Duke Ellington and his Orchestra is perhaps the greatest of all Jazz bands. The group stayed together for over fifty years and recorded and wrote some of America's greatest music. The band started in New York City under name of the Washingtonians in 1923, they then briefly became known as Duke Ellington and his Kentucky Club Orchestra, then as Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra from 1927 to 1930. It was through weekly radio broadcasts from the Cotton Club that the orchestra gained nationwide exposure and became famous. After 1931 the band was billed as Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.

Title Recording Date Recording Location Company
Black And Tan Fantasie
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 10-26-1927 New York, New York Victor
21137-B
Black And Tan Fantasy (b)
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 11-3-1927 New York, New York Okeh
Black And Tan Fantasy (c)
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 11-3-1927 New York, New York Okeh
Black Beauty
(Duke Ellington)		 3-26-1928 New York, New York Victor
21580-A
Blue Bubbles (1)
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York Victor
22985-A
Blue Bubbles (2)
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York Victor
22985-A
Blues I Love To Sing (1)
(Bubber Miley / Duke Ellington)		 10-26-1927 New York, New York Victor
22985-B
Blues I Love To Sing (2)
(Bubber Miley / Duke Ellington)		 10-26-1927 New York, New York Victor
22985-B
Blue Feeling New York, New York Victor
24521-A
Bugle Call Rag
(Irving Mills / Jack Pettis / Elmer Schoebel)		 New York, New York Victor
22938-B
Cocktails For Two
(From Paramount Film "Murder At The Vanities")
(Arthur Johnson / Sam Coslow)		 New York, New York Victor
24617-A
Chicago Stomp Down 11-3-1927 New York, New York Okeh
Creole Love Call
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley / Rudy Jackson)		 10-26-1927 New York, New York Victor
21137-A
Creole Rhapsody
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
36049-A
Creole Rhapsody
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
36049-B
Dallas Doings
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
24431-B
Daybreak Express
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
24501-A
Dear Old Southland New York, New York Victor
24501-B
Delta Serenade
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
24755-B
Diga Diga Doo
(From - "Blackbirds of 1928")
(Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh)		 7-10-1928 New York, New York Okeh
8602
Okeh
41096
Dinah
Vocal refrain by Sonny Greer
(Lewis / Young / Askt)		 New York, New York Victor
22938-A
Doing The New Low-Down
(Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh)		 7-10-1928 New York, New York Okeh
8602
Okeh
41096
Doing The Voom Voom
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 New York, New York Victor
24121-B
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York Victor
Ebony Rhapsody New York, New York Victor
24622-A
Got Everything But You
(Jack Palmer / Andy Razaf)		 3-26-1928 New York, New York Victor
Harlem River Quiver (Brown Berries)
(Duke Ellington)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York Victor
Harlem River Quiver (Brown Berries) (2)
(Duke Ellington)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York French RCA LP
Harlem River Quiver (3)
(Duke Ellington)		 12-19-1927 New York, New York RCA Label X
Harlem Twist (East St. Louis Toodle-Oo)
(Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley)		 1-19-1928 New York, New York Okeh
Haunted Nights
(Duke Ellington)		 9-16-1929 New York, New York Victor
V-38092-A
Hitting The Bottle (1)
(Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler)		 10-2-1930 New York, New York Victor
Hitting The Bottle (2)
(Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler)		 10-2-1930 New York, New York Victor
Hot And Bothered
(Duke Ellington)		 10-1-1928 New York, New York Okeh
I Met My Waterloo
(From Paramount film "It Ain't No Sin")
(Arthur Johnson / Sam Coslow)		 New York, New York Victor
24622-B
It Don't Mean A Thing
(Duke Ellington / Irving Mills)		 2-2-1932 New York, New York Brunswick
Jubilee Stomp
(Duke Ellington)		 1-19-1928 New York, New York Okeh
Jubilee Stomp
(Duke Ellington)		 3-26-1928 New York, New York Victor
21580-B
Live And Let Love Tonight New York, New York Victor
24617-B
Memories Of You
(Andy Razaf / Eubie Blake)		 10-2-1930 New York, New York Victor
My Old Flame
(From Paramount film "It Ain't No Sin")
Vocal refrain by Ivie Anderson
(Arthur Johnson / Sam Coslow)		 New York, New York Victor
24651-B
Mood Indigo
(Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills)		 New York, New York Victor
24486-A
Move Over
(Duke Ellington)		 10-1-1928 New York, New York Okeh
Old Man Blues
(Duke Ellington)		 8-20-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
Old Man Blues (A)
(Duke Ellington)		 8-20-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
Old Man Blues
(Duke Ellington)		 8-26-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
Ring Dem Bells
(From RADIO picture "Check And Double Check"
(Duke Ellington)		 8-20-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
22528-B
Ring Dem Bells (A)
(From RADIO picture "Check And Double Check"
(Duke Ellington)		 8-20-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
22528-B
Ring Dem Bells
(From RADIO picture "Check And Double Check"
(Duke Ellington)		 8-26-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
22528-B
Rude Interlude New York, New York Victor
24431-A
Sophisticated Lady
(Duke Ellington / Mitchell Parrish)		 2-15-1933 New York, New York Columbia
Solitude
(Duke Ellington / Eddie De Lange)		 1-10-1934 New York, New York Victor
24755-B
Stompy Jones
(Duke Ellington)		 New York, New York Victor
24521-A
Swanee Shuffles New York, New York Victor
24121-A
Take It Easy
(Duke Ellington)		 1-19-1928 New York, New York Okeh
That Lindy Hop
(Andy Razaf / Eubie Blake)		 10-2-1930 New York, New York Victor
The Mooche
(Duke Ellington / Irving Mills)		 10-1-1928 New York, New York Okeh
The Duke Steps Out
(Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges / Cootie Williams)		 9-16-1929 New York, New York Victor
V-38092-B
The Mooche
(Duke Ellington / Irving Mills)		 New York, New York Victor
24486-B
The Mystery Song
(Duke Ellington / Irving Mills)		 New York, New York Victor
22800-A
Three Little Words
vocals by Paul Whiteman's Original Rhythm Boys
(Ruby / Kalmar)		 8-26-1930 Hollywood, California Victor
22528-A
Troubled Waters
Vocal refrain by Ivie Anderson		 New York, New York Victor
24651-A
What Can A Poor Fellow Do?
(Elmer Schoebel / Billy Meyers)		 11-3-1927 New York, New York Okeh
Washington Wobble (1)
(Duke Ellington)		 10-6-1927 New York, New York French RCA LP
Washington Wobble (2)
(Duke Ellington)		 10-6-1927 New York, New York RCA Label X
Washington Wobble
(Duke Ellington)		 10-26-1927 New York, New York Victor
You're Lucky To Me
(Andy Razaf / Eubie Blake)		 10-2-1930 New York, New York Victor
Artist Instrument
Barney Bigard Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Wellman Braud Bass
Harry Carney Clarinet, Alto and Baritone Saxophone
Harry Cooper Trumpet
Bass Edwards Tuba
Duke Ellington Piano
Charlie Barnet Chimes
Harry Barris Vocals
Bing Crosby Vocals
Sonny Greer Chimes, Drums, Vocals
Fred Guy Banjo
Emmanuel Hall Quintet Vocals
Otto Hardwick Alto and Soprano Saxophone
Adelaide Hall Vocals
Jimmy Harrison Trombone, Vocals
Johnny Hodges Clarinet, Alto, and Soprano Saxophone
Charlie Irvis Trombone
Rudy Jackson Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Freddy Jenkins Trumpet
Lonnie Johnson Guitar
Joe Nanton Trombone
Jimmy Miller Vocals
Irving Mills Vocals
Louis Metcalf Trumpet
Bubber Miley Trumpet
Don Redman Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Dick Robertson Vocals
Prince Robinson Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Al Rinker Vocals
Roy Rutledge Trumpet
Jabbo Smith Trumpet
George Thomas Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
Juan Tizol Valve Trombone
Arthur Whetsel Trumpet
Cootie Williams Trumpet, Vocals
A special thanks to Dave Dixon for his help with this discography.
Title Director Year
Black And Tan Fantasy Dudley Murphy 1929
Symphony In Black Fred Waller 1935
Hot Chocolate Josef Berne 1941