Duke Ellington, Fargo, North Dakota, 7 November 1940 (Complete) Disc Two

The complete recording of Duke Ellington Orchestra’s 7 November 1940 concert at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota continues on disc two. The music was recorded to acetate by two forward-thinking jazz fans, Jack Towers and Dick Buriss. Exactly 30 days later Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered WW2. Duke helped sell war bonds and recorded Black, Brown, and Beige. Almost 24 years later Charles Mingus released Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, produced by Bob Thiele. Gulf Of Tonkin escalated U.S. involement in Vietnam. Charlie put out Liberation Music Orchestra, also produced by Bob Thiele, six years after that. U.S. continued to bomb Vietnam and Cambodia. Disc one is here. Solid, Jackson.

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Duke Ellington at Fargo, Live 1940 (complete)

Crystal Ballroom, Fargo, North Dakota

7 November 1940

Recorded by Jack Towers and Dick Burns

Wallace Jones & Rex Stewart, trumpets

Ray Nance, trumpet, violin, vocal

Tricky Sam Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, trombones

Barney Bigard, clarinet, tenor sax

Johnny Hodges, alto sax

Otto Hardwick, alto sax, clarinet

Ben Webster, tenor sax

Harry Carney, baritone sax, clarinet

Duke Ellington, piano

Fred Guy, guitar, whistle

Jimmy Blanton, bass

Sonny Greer, drums

Ivie Anderson & Herb Jeffries, vocal

Disc two track listing:

1. Slap Happy (E. Ellington)

2. Sepia Panorama (E. Ellington)

3. Boy Meets Horn (E. Ellington, I. Mills, R Stewart)

4. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (H. Creamer, T. Layton)

5. Oh, Babe! Maybe Someday (E. Ellington)

6. The Five O’Clock Whistle (K. Gannon, W. Irwin, J. Myrow)

7. Fanfare (E. Ellington)

8. Rockin’ In Rhythm (E. Ellington, T. Mills, H. Carney)

9. Sophisticated Lady (E. Ellington, T. Mills, H. Parish)

10. Cotton Tail (incomplete) (E. Ellington)

11. Whispering Grass (D. & F. Fisher)

12. Conga Brava (E. Ellington, J. Tizol)

13. I Never Felt This Way Before (A Dubin, E. Ellington)

14. (chaser)

15. Across The Track Blues (E. Ellington)

16. Honeysuckle Rose (A. Razaf, T. Waller)

17. Wham! (E. Durham, J.T. Miller)

18. Star Dust (H. Carmichael, M. Parish)

19. Rose Of The Rio Grande (E. Leslie, H. Warren)

20. St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy)

21. Warm Valley (E. Ellington)

22. God Bless America (I. Berlin)

23. Herb Jeffries attempts The Call Of The Canyon (W.J. Hill); chaser; All This And Heaven Too (E.D. Lange, J.V. Heusen)

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