Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in Washington, DC, in 1899. Early on, Ellington became involved with music and was heavily influenced by the ragtime and stride pianists that abounded in the nation's capital. By his teens, he was leading small bands. In 1922-by this time called Duke by everyone except his family-he came to New York accompanied by several Washington-based musicians including saxophonist Otto Hardwick and drummer Sonny Greer, both of whom would become long-time members of his orchestra.

By 1924, he was leading his own band. His first important gig was at the Hollywood Club, later called the Club Kentucky on Broadway and 49th Street. Ellington's first recordings in late 1924 are undistinguished. By this time, however, the great trumpeter James "Bubber" Miley became a member of the band. Miley's influence was profound. He transformed the band from what was essentially a dance band into a jazz band by introducing his rough sound filled with growls into the music. Miley was also a gifted composer. Irving Mills, a music publisher, heard the band at the Kentucky Club. Greatly impressed, Mills arranged for Duke to record on the Vocalion record label. Ellington's first significant recordings were made in November 1926 for Vocalion. These included "East St. Louis Toodle-O" and "Birmingham Breakdown." Mills became Ellington's partner, an arrangement that lasted until approximately 1940. Ellington's big break came in the fall of 1927.
Mills arranged for Duke to audition for a job at the Cotton Club. Due to some luck and probably a little mob influence, Duke got the job. His first stay at the Cotton Club lasted until 1931. This became Ellington's Jungle Band period.

The most important member was Miley who composed and was the star soloist. The band was expanded for the job and eventually included, Joseph "Tricky Sam" Nanton on trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet and Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney on saxophones. Miley left the band in 1929 and was replaced by Cootie Williams. Nanton, Bigard, Hodges, Carney, and Williams became the nucleus of the band, and all remained members of Duke Ellington's Orchestra into the 1940s. Under Mills' guidance, Ellington made dozens of recordings under different names and record labels.

Duke Ellington's earliest recordings can be found on Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1924-1927 Classics 539. This is the first volume of a series of CDs that is planned to include one take of every commercial recording that Ellington ever made. The earlier records on this CD are of historical interest only. The later records, however, include three versions of "East St. Louis Toodle-O," two of "Birmingham Breakdown" and one version of Ellington's masterpiece, "Black and Tan Fantasy." As of this writing, 43 CDs have been issued in the Classics series, which so far goes up to 1953. Liner notes are minimal, but at least everything is available.

Three companies-Decca, Columbia, and RCA Victor-own almost all of Ellington's 1920s recordings. All the Vocalion and Brunswick material is available on the 3-CD set Early Ellington, the Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931.

This includes among dozens of others, "Mood Indigo," the two-part "Tiger Rag," "Jubilee Stomp," and "Cotton Club Stomp." This set is highly recommended, not only for its contents but also for the brilliant liner notes by Steven Lasker. The Okeh recordings are all collected on the 2 CD set. This includes, among others, "The Mooche," "Black Beauty," "Old Man Blues," and "Rockin' In Rhythm." The Victor sides are available in the 24-CD set, The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition-The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973). This set is rapidly going out of print and is very expensive. The Victor sides are all included in the Classics series.

I highly recommend two books: Ellington: the Early Years, by Mark Tucker, 1991, and Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, Chapter 7, The Ellington Style, by Gunther Schuller, 1968. Tucker's book is a biography with great detail of Ellington's early life and career. Schuller's chapter is a detailed analyses of Ellington's music.

Finally, Ellington appeared in two movies during this period. He acts and appears with his orchestra in a movie short, Black and Tan. This little movie depicts Duke writing "The Black and Tan Fantasy" with the help of trumpeter Artie Whetsol (another of the musicians who came to New York with Ellington) and then performing it in a nightclub much like the Cotton Club. Duke and the Orchestra appear in one scene in the Amos and Andy movie Check and Double Check. The Orchestra is seen performing "Three Little Words" and playing "The Mystery Song." as background music to a dramatic scene. Both of the movies are available on video and DVD.

The Jungle Band period of the Duke Ellington orchestra came to an end with the replacement of Bubber Miley by Cootie Williams and the end of Ellington's long stay at the Cotton Club in 1931.
Under the guidance of Irving Mills, his partner and manager, Ellington began a series of tours, at first, all over the country and inevitably to Europe. Duke and the band achieved enormous popularity. During this period, the Orchestra also appeared in several movies.

The core of the band, Cootie Williams and Arthur Whetsol, trumpets; Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, and, Barney Bigard, reeds; Joseph "Tricky" Sam Nanton and Juan Tizol, trombones; Freddy Guy, guitar; Wellman Braud, bass; and Sonny Greer, drums - except for Whetsol and Braud - remained well into the 1940s. Otto Hardwick, alto saxophonist, one of the original Washingtonians, rejoined the band early in the 1930s and also remained for another ten years. Important new elements were also added, little by little. Ivie Anderson became the first permanent vocalist in the band; on her first recording date with the band she made the immortal, "It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing." Lawrence Brown was added as the third trombone in 1932, and Rex Stewart joined the trumpet section in 1934.

Irving Mills kept the band in the recording studios constantly, under several different names and record companies. Besides, the Ellington originals, the band also recorded many popular songs and used guest vocalists. During this period, Ellington wrote and recorded several of his most famous compositions among them, "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady," "Ring Dem Bells," and "Rockin' in Rhythm."

In 1932, Mills landed a contract with Brunswick Records, and therefore the great bulk of Ellington's recorded output in the 1930's is on the Brunswick label. Much of the "Ellington sound" comes from this period. Duke began to explore longer composition. It was during this period that he recorded "Reminiscing in Tempo" on four sides of two 78-RPM records and "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" on two sides.

He wrote ravishing mood pieces such as "Azure" and "Blue Light" and impressionistic pieces such as "Daybreak Express" and "Drop Me Off in Harlem." In 1936, he pioneered the "portraits," compositions that feature just one soloist, such as "Clarinet Lament" for Barney Bigard and "Echoes of Harlem" for Cootie Williams. Several of his most enduring popular songs also came from this period, "I Let a Song "Go Out of My Heart," "Prelude to a Kiss" and "In a Sentimental Mood." Near the end of the decade, Brunswick was taken over by Columbia Records. Ellington's output remained prodigious. Hundreds of pieces were recorded in this decade.

At the suggestion of Helen Oakley, later Mrs. Stanley Dance, she and Duke produced a series of records by small contingents of musicians from the band under the nominal leadership of Ellington's sidemen: Barney Bigard, Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams, and Johnny Hodges. The first session produced two pieces; Juan Tizol's "Caravan" and "Stompy Jones." Both were recorded by the full orchestra and remained in band book until the very end.

Ellington's first trip out of the United States was to England in 1933. In 1939, he returned to England, but had to cut the trip short because of the beginning of the Second World War. With the addition of Jimmy Blanton on bass and Ben Webster on tenor sax, the latter part of the thirties saw two developments that marked the beginnings of a new era, The Blanton/Webster Band and the emergence of Billy Strayhorn. The end of the era also corresponds with Ellington's break with Irving Mills and the move from Columbia Records to RCA Victor. More about these changes will be part of the next installment.

The best overview of Duke Ellington in the 1930s is a 6-CD set on Naxos Jazz Legends. A single CD overview of this period can be found on Duke Ellington Swing: 1930-1938. Either or both can be purchased on-line from Worlds Records at Worldsrecords.com. Beside these, the two CD sets recommended in the introductory part of this series, Duke Ellington the Centennial Collection and The Duke-The Essential Collection 1927-1962 include many of the essential recordings of the thirties.

Highly recommended books on this period include The Swing Era, The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945, by Gunther Schuller, Chapter 2, "Duke Ellington Master Composer," pages 46-157, 1989, and Duke Ellington, A Listener's Guide, by Eddie Lambert, 1999. The Schuller chapter analyzes Ellington's music from 1930 to about 1950. Lambert's book discusses all of Ellington's recordings.