Blue Light

Blue Light is the peer-reviewed quarterly journal of the Duke Ellington Society UK. Established in 1994, Blue Light continues to connect, entertain and inform by presenting research, news, reviews and recollections. Blue Light is acclaimed for publishing articles by the world’s most knowledgeable Ellington scholars and for giving space for voices with opposing viewpoints and backgrounds.

You can read a sample article here: “Jazz, Revue and a Thriller” The Response of the Birmingham Press to Duke Ellington’s 1933 Tour , by Pedro Cravinho, Birmingham City University (PDF, 7.3MB).

Blue Light is a premier benefit of membership to the Duke Ellington Society UK and members (join here) can choose whether to receive their copy through the post or digitally as a PDF.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from DESUK members and non-members. If you would like to submit an editorial or an article for consideration, please contact us at desuk@dukeellington.org.uk with an informal proposal of what you would like to contribute. Please refer to the Submission Guidelines if writing an article.

Letters to the Editor, Event Listings, Reviews and Reminiscing submissions are typically included in the issue following the copy date. Articles containing research are subject to peer review and may therefore take longer to be published.

Copy Deadlines

In order to have the time to carefully produce each issue of Blue Light, we have established the following cut-off dates for submissions. Please send your copy as early as possible.

  • Spring: 15 February
  • Summer: 15 May
  • Autumn: 15 August
  • Winter: 15 Nov

Index to issues

1994 - 1995

  • Volume 1 / 1 Piano In The Foreground (Brian Priestley), Jimmy Hamilton obituary, Drop Me Off In Harlem (Vic Bellerby), Harlem Air Shaft (Nick Perkins).
  • Volume 2 / 1 I Was There (Peter Tanner), ‘E & D Blues’ The Critics And Me (Nick Perkins), Limehouse Blues (Roger Boyes analysis), Ellington Conferences ’85 - ’94 (Bill Hill).
  • Volume 2 / 2 April In Paris (John C. Gee), Profile of Michael Garrick, The Voice of Dissent (Max Harrison), Anatomy Of A Band (Tony Faulkner).
  • Volume 2 / 3 Ellington ’48 (Jim Godbolt with Tony Crombie), Ellington And The Blues (Ken Rattenbury), Cat Anderson - The Musician And The Man (Alexandre Rado).

1996

  • Volume 3 / 1 Edward K And Francis A (John C. Gee), The Duke And Me (Jerry Valburn), She Wouldn’t Be Moved (Roger Boyes analysis), The Duke’s Men - Wallace Jones (Dave Cavalier).
  • Volume 3 / 2 Mercer Ellington Obituary, Profile of Brian Priestley, Ellington And Tin Pan Alley (Ken Rattenbury), Teamwork (Bill Bailey).
  • Volume 3 / 3 Portrait Of The Lion (Roger Boyes analysis), Mr Strayhorn Goes To Paris (Alexandre Rado), Call Me An Ellingtonian (Andrew Dunn).
  • Volume 3 / 4 Blanton’s Early Days (John Chilton), Fargo Revisited (Art Pilkington), Profile of Humphrey Lyttelton.

1997

  • Volume 4 / 1 See You At The Fair (Graham Collier), Harlem: Duke And The Classical Connection (Stanley Slome), The Jazz Nutcracker (Walter Van de Leur).
  • Volume 4 / 2 Anatomy Of A Band (Pete Long), A Composed, Rehearsed Improvisation (Theodore Hudson), Harlem: Duke And The Classical Connection (Stanley Slome), Ellington - The Hot Bach (Mike Parnham).
  • Volume 4 / 3 Scratching The Surface…At Leeds (Steve Voce), ‘A’ Train To Leeds (Malcolm Mitchell), A Portrait Of Harry Carney (David Redshaw).
  • Volume 4 / 4 A Night At The Opera House (Kevin Henriques), The Ducal Suites (Mike Parnham), Creole Love Call (Michael Garrick).

1998

  • Volume 5 / 1 When Floorshow Left The Duke (Steve Voce), The Big Drag (Michael Kilpatrick analysis and transcription), Max, Peter and The Duke (Mike Parnham).
  • Volume 5 / 2 Russell Procope (David Fleming), Alexandre Rado (David Fleming), Solitude (Reg Heathorn).
  • Volume 5 / 3 The River - Duke And The Classical Connection (Stanley Slome), Encounters With Ellingtonia (Derek Else).
  • Volume 5 / 4 Ellington Theft (Mike Parnham), Knowing The Score (Pete Long), Encounters With Ellingtonia - Russell Procope (Ray Bolden), Pussy Willow (Roger Boyes analysis).

1999

  • Volume 6 / 1 Ellington Centenary Events UK, Duke The Great, Herb Jeffries The Bronze Buckaroo (Bo Haufman), Stanley Dance - A Reminiscence (Brian Priestley).
  • Volume 6 / 2 Blessed Retrospection - The 17th Annual International Duke Ellington Conference - The Centenary Year - Washington DC (David Fleming), The Sky Fell Down (Roger Boyes analysis).
  • Volume 6 / 3 Herb Jeffries The Bronze Buckaroo - Part 2 (Bo Haufman), Ducal Favourites (David Fleming), The Governor (Alun Morgan).
  • Volume 6 / 4 Herb Jeffries The Bronze Buckaroo - Part 3 (Bo Haufman), Commercial Time (David Fleming), Johnny Hodges - ‘Rabbit’ (Bruce Turner), Johnny Hodges (Max Jones).

2000

  • Volume 7 / 1 Concerto For Cootie (Eric Townley), The 1951 ‘Coronets’ recordings (Roger Boyes analysis).
  • Volume 7 / 2 Ellington ’42: A Year In The Life (Peter Townsend), Provocations - Some International Disagreement On The Internet (Bill Bailey), It’s Rumour Again (David Fleming).
  • Volume 7 / 3 Inside The Ellington Band (Nat Hentoff), Bubber Miley (Richard Ehrenzeller), Archive Jive (Brian Priestley).
  • Volume 7 / 4 1974 Remembered (Vic Bellerby), Britt Woodman and Willie Cook obituaries, The Sergeant Was Shy (Roger Boyes analysis).

2001

  • Volume 8 / 1 The Triple Threat (David Fleming), Old Man Blues (Brian Priestley analysis), Norris Turney and Mark Tucker obituaries.
  • Volume 8 / 2 Dolores Parker (Ken Vail), Vic Bellerby’s Recollections No.2 - Constant Lambert’s Music Ho (1934), Saxophones, Mouthpieces And Johnny Hodges (Bill Bailey).
  • Volume 8 / 3 Revaluations – Unbooted Character Bethlehem Records 7-8 February 1956 (Roger Boyes), Willie Cook interviewed by Peter Vacher in 1983, Cootie Remembered (Steve Voce), Index of Back Issues Volume 1⁄1 to Volume 8⁄2.
  • Volume 8 / 4 Ellington’s First Steps: 50 years later (Max Harrison), Earl Okin on Duke Ellington 1899–1973, Russell Procope (Graham Colombe).

2002

  • Volume 9 / 1 The Future of Jazz – Duke Ellington 1958, Duke Ellington interviewed in the 50’s, Sweet Discord (John Lawson).
  • Volume 9 / 2 The Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra (George Duncan), The Eloquence of Ellington (Stanley Dance), Double Play – Carney to Hodges to Ellington (Don DeMichael), The “Echoes of Ellington” Band – 100 Club 24th April 2002, Rex Stewart As I Knew Him (Charles Wilford).
  • Volume 9 / 3 DERO at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate – 21st June 2002, The Age of Ellington (Derek Jewell), Jazz: On And Off The Track (Stanley Dance 1943), He’s Gotten Bad And That Ain’t Good (Charles Fox 1943), Ellington Asides (Vic Bellerby 1943).
  • Volume 9 / 4 Homage to Duke Ellington (Ralph Ellison), Harry Carney and the Swedish Fuzz (Walter Schaap), Duke Ellington (Leonard Feather 1944), Ellington Concert, Free Trade Hall, Manchester 1963 (Benny Green), In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree (Roger Boyes).

2003

  • Volume 10 / 1 Obituaries: Bill Berry and Peter Tanner (Steve Voce, Jerry Valburn, George Avakian), Evolving In Rhythm (Brian Priestley), A Jungle At Duke’s Place? (Walter van de Leur), Norris Turney Remembered (Michael Lukes).
  • Volume 10 / 2 Ellington ’56 (Ian Bradley), Bill Berry Interview – Part One (Tony Faulkner).
  • Volume 10 / 3 Moon Over Dixie – A milestone and a mystery (Roger Offord), The Ellington Sound (Geoffrey James), Intimate Interlude – The Flute (Roger Boyes), Bill Berry Interview – Part Two (Tony Faulkner).
  • Volume 10 / 4 The Tanner Lectures on Human Values, Talk of Ellingtonia, Interview with Keith Ingham - The Most Essential Instrument (Duke Ellington).

2004

  • Volume 11 / 1 Louie Bellson (Stan Slome), Ruth Ellington Boatwright (Steve Voce), Aaron Bell – Part One (Martin Richards), Jazzman Duke Ellington – Mood Indigo and Beyond.
  • Volume 11 / 2 Stockholm Conference (Roger Boyes), Duke Ellington – 30 years on (Melody Maker), Aaron Bell – Part 2 (Martin Richards), Freddy Guy Interviewed (John McDonough).
  • Volume 11 / 3 Louie Bellson with Duke, Saratoga Swing (Roger Boyes), Mercer Ellington interviewed 1989.
  • Volume 11 / 4 Bob Wilber All-Stars reviewed (Roger Boyes), The Birmingham Royal Ballet, Such Sweet Thunder (Antony Pepper photographs), The Mirrored Self – Duke looks inward, Jazz Anecdotes.

2005

  • Volume 12 / 1 Joe Temperley by Harlan James; Introducing Duke Ellington Anonymous Fortune August 1933; Bands, Booze and Broads – Sheila Tracy.
  • Volume 12 / 2 Bounce, Barney Bigard by Roger Boyes.
  • Volume 12 / 3 Peter Tanner presentation on Duke’s 1933 Tour of UK (part one); A Tale Of Two Scores by Michael Kilpatrick; Lawrence Brown by Steve Voce.
  • Volume 12 / 4 Duke Ellington – Hear Me Talking (Alun Morgan); Birmingham Conservatoire performance of “The Far East Suite” (Antony Pepper); Peter Tanner presentation on Duke’s 1933 Tour of UK (part two); Rex and Roy – The Cutting Edge (Roger Boyes).

2006

  • Volume 13 / 1 Echoes Of The Jungle (Quentin Bryar); Two Anecdotes (Peter Tanner); Fifty Years Ago (Roger Boyes); Echoes Of Ellington at Ronnie Scott’s (Ted Gascoigne); Why Hide Duke’s Diamond In The Bank? (Roderick Gilchrist).
  • Volume 13 / 2 Ellington Study Day at Wigmore Hall (Roger Boyes); Jack Fallon – an Obituary (Steve Voce); Ellington Sacred Music Concert at Cadogan Hall (Antony Pepper); Duke Ellington Repertory Orchestra at The Venue, Leeds College of Music (Roger Boyes); New Venue for London Social Meetings.
  • Volume 13 / 3 Forty Years Ago (Roger Boyes); A Cold From Little Eddie (Steve Voce); Hot Wax (C.T. (Bud) McCaffrey Jnr); Duke Ellington Sacred Concert at Manchester Cathedral (Eunice Malloch).
  • Volume 13 / 4 Duke Ellington - The Sacred Concert (Quentin Bryar); Swing Era Scrapbook Review - Roger Boyes; Thad Jones and the Ellington Effect - Tony Faulkner.

2007

  • Volume 14 / 1 Laura - That’s The Face (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 14 / 2 Annual General Meeting and Concert April 2007 - (Ted Gascoigne); Portrait of a Voice-Tricky Sam Nanton - (Alan Stott); DESUK London Social Meeting on April 14th 2007 - (David Deacon); theJazz - (David Deacon).
  • Volume 14 / 3 The 20th Duke Ellington International Conference (E2008); Billy Strayhorn Radio Reviews; Performance - John Dankworth/Cleo Laine at Royal Albert Hall; Performance - Michael Kilpatrick’s Harmony In Harlem at Quay Theatre, Sudbury, Suffolk; Performance - Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra at Barbican; Jimmie Hamilton by Roger Boyes; Encounters with Ellingtonia (7) by Derek Else.
  • Volume 14 / 4 The Great London Conference Ellington 2008; Tubby Hayes Wants You To Know.. Roger Boyes; Performances reported - Alan Barnes Jazz Masters, Martin Litton and Val Wiseman (A Duke Ellington Tribute); Brian Priestley (Solo Ellington Recital) ; On Duke’s Birthday - Mike Westbrook; Piano Blues (A Christmas Story); Tony Faulkner now retired from DERO; Forty Years Ago - Roger Boyes.

2008

  • Volume 15 / 1 Ellington 2008, The Great London Conference; The British Tour, Quentin Bryar’s transcription of the 1948 recording; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre; Sixty Years Ago, Duke’s Second Tour of the UK.
  • Volume 15 / 2 A Crescendo For The Showmen (Geoff Smith); Thanks A Million, Humph; Statistics Gone Mad (Ted Gascoigne) Music at Ellington 2008 and the all-day Festival Session.
  • Volume 15 / 3 Fifty Years Ago (Roger Boyes); 1958 Memories; Thanks A Million, Humph; Russell Procope (Roger Boyes); Duke Ellington (Eric W. Willingham in July 1933).
  • Volume 15 / 4 1933 Rhythm Magazine Editorial, Meet Mercer Ellington and Herb Jeffries (Ken Vail), Ellington For A Day - Jabbo Smith (Roger Boyes), The Origin Of The Queen’s Suite (Roger Boyes).

2009

  • Volume 16 / 1 Louie Bellson 1924-2009 - (Steve Voce); The Incomparable Lawrence Brown - (Leif “Smoke Rings” Anderson ) Interview ; Lasker on Lawrence Brown (Stanley Slome); When Lawrence Joined The Duke - (Roger Boyes); Ellington Aware - (Geoff Smith).
  • Volume 16 / 2 The US Minted Coin; The Guildhall Jazz Band at the DESUK AGM (Ted Gascoigne); A Mobster and a Tyke – Owney Madden (Roger Boyes) Ellington’s First US Concert Programme?; Website - Which Came First?
  • Volume 16 / 3 Obituaries Steve Race, John Astle, Dick Hawdon and John Malloch; A Glimpse Of The Man (Steve Race); Anatomy Of A Murder (Quentin Bryar); Ben Webster (Roger Boyes); Seventy Years Ago (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 16 / 4 Westminster Abbey 24 October 1973, rehearsal and performance (Geoff Smith); Rainbow Theatre, London, 2 December 1973 (Mike Westbrook); Ellington Orchestra In Europe 1939 (Rober Boyes); Quentin Jackson, Monsieur Le Beurre (Roger Boyes).

2010

  • Volume 17 / 1 Harlem Highlights BBC West African Service script 1948, written and introduced by Denis Preston, Ellington programme (Roger Boyes); DE 1948 visit to Britain (Paul Barnes, Saga Magazine); Sir John Dankworth obit; Harold Ashby (Roger Boyes); Graham Colombe on the 1973 Rainbow concert.
  • Volume 17 / 2 Lush Life film by Robert Levi and Robert Seidman, USA 2006 (Quentin Bryer); Lena Horne, Jerry Valburn and Gene Lees obits; Change and the Duke (Steve Race); Chelsea Bridge duke-lym discussion.
  • Volume 17 / 3 Joya Sherrill obit; Harry Carney (Roger Boyes); Duke Ellington’s America by Harvey G Cohen, review and commentary (Geoff Smith); Duke Plays Our Concert, May 20 1964 (Bruce Kennan); Hodges-A-Plenty (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 17 / 4 Ellington Tells All for Philadelphia Tribune reporter (Bev. Carter); Vic Bellerby on Ellington (Records and Recording, November 1974); Idiom ‘59 (Roger Boyes).

2011

  • Volume 18 / 1 Mosaic 11CD box set, 1932-1940 (Roger Boyes); Mosaic set sound restoration (Steven Lasker, reported by Stan Slone); Joe Temperley profile (Bernard McAlinden); Jack Towers and Fargo (Roger Boyes); Current state of jazz on radio (survey by Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 18 / 2 Launch plans for Ellington 2012; 1963 Granada TV broadcast (Roger Boyes); The Perfume Suite, Ellington’s World In Miniature (Geoff Smith), Unfortunate Recording History Of (Roger Boyes), and Origins Of (Roger Boyes); Joe Temperley part two (Bernard McAlinden).
  • Volume 18 / 3 Ellington 2012 fixed for Woking; Vocalise (Michael Kilpatrick); Detecting Duke’s Trumpet Players 1945 (Graham Columbe).
  • Volume 18 / 4 Michael Garrick and Butch Ballard obits; Primping For The Prom 1952 (Roger Boyes); Paul Gonsalves 1920-1974 (Graham Columbe).

2012

  • Volume 19 / 1 Kay Davis obit (Maureen O’Donnell); Mike Westbrook’s Five Spot Ellington album choices; Turning Point - Dream Team (Liam Noble interviewed by Brian Glasser, on Duke and Louis Armstrong; The Beautiful Americans, Armstrong All-Stars and Duke, 1961 (Rober Boyes).
  • Volume 19 / 2 Come Sunday, Ellington 2012 (Wendy Lawrence); Duke In Woking 23-27 May 2012 (Geoff Smith);Who Was In The Studio on 29 January 1924? (Mike Coates on Ken Steiner’s Woking 2012 presentation); Chronological List Of The Compositions of Duke Ellington, 1933 London concert programme (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 19 / 3 Annie Kuebler obit (Roger Boyes); When Cootie Left The Duke (Annie Kuebler); Duke Ellington and Mary Lou Williams, Spiritual and Sacred Music (Annie Kuebler); Great Paul (Paul Gonsalves) (Peter Clayton, 1974); Woking Encores (Geoff Smith).
  • Volume 19 / 4 Ellington On Columbia (George Avakian); Sjef Hoefsmit obit (Roger Boyes); Ellington the Disc Jockey in 1948 (report unearthed by David Palmquist).

2013

  • Volume 20 / 1 Editor Roger Boyes’ retirement issue. Ellington At Newport: 3 July 1958 by Jack Gold and Dom Cerulli (from Down Beat, 7 August 1958); Ken Vail obit (Roger Boyes); A Tale Of Two Woodes (Goren Wallen); Dave And Duke (death of Dave Brubeck) (Geoff Smith); In Search Of Fletcher Henderson (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 20 / 2 Editor Ian Bradley’s inaugural issue. Discovery Of Ellington’s Film Debut (Ken Steiner); With Roger Boyes In His Den (Geoff Smith); Jerry Kruger, A Forgotten Ellington Singer (Roger Boyes); Boxing Clever, the Complete Columbia Studio Albums 1951-58 (Ian Bradley); Duke: A Life (How Ellington acquired his facial scar) (Terry Teachout).
  • Volume 20 / 3 Putney Dandridge… Ellingtonian? (Steven Lasker); Dating Duke and Edna’s Breakup – And The Infamous Slashing Incident (Steven Lasker); Duke’s Itinerary (David Palmquist).
  • Volume 20 / 4 Tell Me It’s The Truth: Terry Teachout’s biography published (Ian Bradley), Ellington In Afghanistan (Ian Bradley); Herb Jeffries celebrates 100th birthday; Duke in Yorkshire (Mike Vawdrey); Sathima Bea Benjamin obit (Roger Boyes); Marian McPartland obit (Roger Boyes); Dennis Dimmer obit (Wendy Lawrence); Vic Bellerby (Joan Bellerby), Remembering Vic (Roger Boyes); Brubeck On Ellington (transcript of the Dave Brubeck interview for Ellington 2012, Woking); What To Leave Out (Pete Long).

2014

  • Volume 21 / 1 Stan Tracey obit (Brian Priestley); Wakefield Theatre Club 1969 (Roger Boyes); Duke Ellington’s Three Black Kings and Celebration (Luca Bragalini via Geoff Smith); Notes on Assault On A Queen (Joe Medjuck); Duke – The Life of Duke Ellington by Terry Teachout (Roger Boyes) and a personal response (Ian Bradley).
  • Volume 21 / 2 Ellington 2014 in Amsterdam (Geoff Smith); Keys to the Duke by Graham Colombé (from Into Jazz May 1974); Forty Years On (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 21 / 3 The Duke – Where and When (David Palmquist); Herb Jefferies obit (from the Daily Telegraph 13 July 2014); Going South: Representation in the Deep South Suite (David Schiff); Duke Ellington in Grona Lund (Ian Bradley).
  • Volume 21 / 4 DESUK: the first twenty years Part One (Peter Caswell); Gerald Wilson obit (Roger Boyes); Derek Else funeral and tribute (Roger Boyes and Gerard Elvin); They Got It Wrong and Vic Was Right (Roger Boyes); Misunderstanding in Blue by Darcy James Argue (from Ethan Iverson’s Do The Math blog).

2015

  • Volume 22 / 1 Duke Ellington’s Parallel Universe: The Stockpile (Jack Chambers); Fiestaval Session (David Palmquist); This One Was Special (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 22 / 2 Clark Terry: An Appreciation (Ian Bradley); The Little Giant and the Duke by Simon Spillett (from Jazz Journal International November 2007); Newport: Never Plain Sailing by Ron Simpson (from The Jazz Rag); The Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington (Graham Colombé); History of DESUK Part 2 (Peter Caswell).
  • Volume 22 / 3 (Billy Strayhorn issue) Duke’s Other Hand by Martin Grayford (from Wire April 1989); Me And You: The Musical Partnership of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington (Andrew Homzy); Weely (Roger Boyes); Strayhorn the Pianist (Kevin Whitehead); Lush Life: Strayhorn’s Longing for Songjectivity (Frank Griffith); Strayhorn – A Mitchell-Ruff Interpretation (Willie Ruff).
  • Volume 22 / 4 Ellington 2015 Portland, Oregon (Geoff Smith); Piano Reflections Part One (Matthew J. Cooper); Piano In The Foreground (Louis Tavecchio); Two Front Teeth (Roger Boyes).

2016

  • Volume 23 / 1 1966 and All That… (Ian Bradley); Duke Swings In The Aisles (from Melody Maker 1966); Duke In The Cathedral (Vic Bellerby); Jazz? What’s That He Asks (Michael Hardcastle); Harold Ashby (As Leader) On Record: 1978-2003 (Grant Elliot); Gonsalves on the Unknown Session (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 23 / 2 Joe Temperley obit (Alison Kerr); Buster Cooper (by Jay Cridlin from the Tampa Bay Times); Beyond Chronology (Ian Bradley); The Goal Was Impact: Duke Ellington’s Radio Shows (Ken Steiner); Piano Reflections Part Two (Matthew J. Cooper).
  • Volume 23 / 3 (Paris issue) Colossal, Stupendous … New York Duke Ellington Study Conference (Geoff Smith); Duke Ellington and Paris (Ian Bradley); Diary – 68 Hours Without Sleep (Ernest Borneman); Paris Blues (Krin Gabbard); Les Feuilles Mortes (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 23 / 4 Ellington at the Sherman (Roger Boyes); Invisibility Blues: Searching for Strayhorn In The 21st Century (Lisa Barg); Harlem: Sounds From The Big Court (Luca Bragalini); Birmingham Breakdown (Ian Bradley).

2017

  • Volume 24 / 1 Birmingham Conservatoire Forms New Ellington Orchestra (Ian Bradley); Such Sweet Thunder (Stuart Emmerson) Mystery Play (Ian Bradley).
  • Volume 24 / 2 Geoff Smith – A Remembrance (Ian Bradley); Panther Patter Duke Ellington at the Piano (Jack Chambers); The Great Reunion (Ian Bradley); Cambridge Concert 1967 (Chris Elliot).
  • Volume 24 / 3 Selling Ellington (Steven Lasker); The 1931 Irving Mills Organisation Duke Ellington Advertising Manual (Reproduction).
  • Volume 24 / 4 Announcement of 25th International Duke Ellington Study Group Conference in Birmingham; Duke Ellington At The Hurricane CD (Frits Schjøtt); Irving Mills’s 1933-34 Duke Ellington Publicity Manual (Carl Woideck); Irving Mills 1933-34 Duke Ellington Manual (Reproduction); Duke Ellington Studies (Katherine Williams).

2018

  • Volume 25 / 1 Creole Rhapsody (Roger Boyes); Irving Mills Publicity Materials from 1930s; 25th International Conference (Birmingham) keynote speakers etc; Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra review (Quentin Bryar); Clarinetta Ellingtonia (Frank Griffith); The Eloquent Firing of Charles Mingus (Krin Gabbard).
  • Volume 25 / 2 Conservatory Without Walls: Ellingtonia in Academia (Ian Bradley); The Duke & I (Arthur W. Galston); Jazz Goes to Collage (sic): Duke Ellington, Percy Grainger and the Status of Jazz in the Academy (Ethan Hine); The Sacred and the Profound (Ian Bradley); Ellingtonia Moves Forward (Frank Griffith); 25th Duke Ellington Study Group Conference Schedule (Supplement).
  • Volume 25 / 3 Bournevilles Ville is the place, man… (Frank Griffith); Ellington’s “Secret Sessions” in Toronto, June 1972 (Jack Chambers); “A Beautiful Human Being”: Celebrating the Centenary of James Harvey Blanton Jr. (Matthias Heyman).
  • Volume 25 / 4 Ian Bradley signs off as Editor; Meet the Duke (Jack Sher); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and the Adventures of Peer Gynt in America (Anna Celenza); Sir John and the Duke (Frank Griffith).

2019

  • Volume 26 / 1 Duke Ellington Headed for Newport (Roger Boyes); Monsignor John Sanders (Roger Boyes); Billy Strayhorn: Composer of the Week - BBC Radio 3 (Quentin Bryer); The Protean Imagination of Duke Ellington: The Early Years (AJ Bishop); The Coventry Cathedral Concert (Cormac Loane).
  • Volume 26 / 2 Denver 15 July 1942 (Roger Boyes); ‘Sherman Shuffle’ Chicago and the Midwest, Summer 1942 (Roger Boyes); Reviews of ‘Jazz potpourri’ Guildhall Jazz Orchestra Opens the Guildhall Jazz Festival (Patrick Olsen), ‘Echoes of Ellington’ Jazz Planets in Bury St Edmunds (Roger Boyes).
  • Volume 26 / 3 Duke and Tucaret (Brian Priestley); Cabin in the Sky (Roger Boyes); In Response to A.J. Bishop’s ‘The Protean Imagination of Duke Ellington’ (Roger Boyes); Review of Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington (Frank Griffith).
  • Volume 26 / 4 Bob Wilber – The Ellington Connection at Ellington ’85 and ’88 (Elaine Marsh); The Mysterious Rabbit – Bob Wilber’s Presentation at Ellington ’88 (Bob Wilber, Transcribed by Patrick Olsen); Review of Rabbit’s Blues: the Life and Music of Johnny Hodges by Con Chapman (Gareth Evans); Reminiscing: Duke’s Stride Piano (Roger Offord); Cabin in the Sky Part 2 (Roger Boyes); Review of Alan Barnes and Mark Nightingale at the Hunter Club.

2020

  • Volume 27 / 1 Hodges - Part the Next (Brian Priestley); Reminiscing: Duke’s Stride Piano Part 2 (Roger Boyes); DESUK at Documenting Jazz Conference (Frank Griffith); On Duke’s Birthday (Mike Westbrook); Black, Brown and Beige, Winter 1943 (Roger Boyes); Upcoming major events including Uncommon Orchestra’s ‘On Duke’s Birthday’ and Harmony in Harlem.
  • Volume 27 / 2 Uptown Lockdown: Let the Zoomers Drool (Ian Bradley); On Duke’s Birthday (Roger Boyes); Recording reviews of David Berger and the Sultans of Sing (Frank Griffith) and Black, Brown and Beige: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (Brian Priestley); Reminiscing includes: ‘Kina Stride-ish’ and ‘Otto & the Creeper’ (Roger Offord), …And Finally, ‘Lotus Blossom’ (Peter Gardiner); Canonical Ellington (Gareth Evans); “That’s My Satin Doll”: Authorship, Originality, and the Copyright Dispute Over “Satin Doll” (Katherine Leo); The Story Behind The Picture: Gerald Lascelles and Duke Ellington (Patrick Olsen).