The Best of the Complete RCA Victor Mid-Forties Recordings (1944-1946)

~ Release by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (see all versions of this release, 2 available)

Tracklist

1▼CD
#TitleRatingLength
1I'm Beginning to See the Light
recording of:
I’m Beginning to See the Light (on 1944-12-01)
lyricist:
Don George (US songwriter/composer, 1909–1987) (in 1944)
writer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1944), Johnny Hodges (in 1944) and Harry James (US big band leader, trumpeter & actor) (in 1944)
publisher:
Anne‐Rachel Music Corp.
3:13
2Don't You Know I Care
alto saxophone:
Otto Hardwick (on 1944-12-01) and Johnny Hodges (on 1944-12-01)
double bass:
Junior Raglin (bass) (on 1944-12-01)
drums (drum set):
Hillard Brown (on 1944-12-01) and Sonny Greer (on 1944-12-01)
guitar:
Fred Guy (on 1944-12-01)
piano:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (on 1944-12-01)
reeds:
Harry Carney (on 1944-12-01), Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1944-12-01) and Otto Hardwick (on 1944-12-01)
tenor saxophone:
Al Sears (on 1944-12-01)
trombone:
Lawrence Brown (jazz trombonist) (on 1944-12-01), Claude Jones (on 1944-12-01) and Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (on 1944-12-01)
trumpet:
William “Cat” Anderson (on 1944-12-01), Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (on 1944-12-01), Taft Jordan (on 1944-12-01) and Ray Nance (on 1944-12-01)
vocals:
Al Hibbler (on 1944-12-01)
recording of:
Don’t You Know I Care? (on 1944-12-01)
lyricist:
Mack David (American lyricist and songwriter) (in 1944)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1944)
3:00
3Come Sunday
recording of:
Black, Brown, and Beige: I. Black: Come Sunday (part of the 1943 original "Black, Brown, and Beige" suite) (on 1944-12-11)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader)
part of:
Black, Brown, and Beige: I. Black (part of the 1943 original "Black, Brown, and Beige" suite)
4:31
4The Blues
recording of:
The Blues (on 1944-12-11)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader)
4:34
5Prelude to a Kiss
recording of:
Prelude to a Kiss (on 1945-05-10)
lyricist:
Irving Gordon (US songwriter) (in 1938) and Irving Mills (in 1938)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1938)
publisher:
J. R. Lafleur & Son Ltd. and Lafleur Music Ltd.
3:02
6Caravan
recording of:
Caravan (on 1945-05-11)
lyricist:
Irving Mills (in 1937)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1936) and Juan Tizol (in 1936)
publisher:
American Academy of Music, Inc., Duke Ellington Music, EMI Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP-affiliated), Famous Music Corporation (renamed since 2007‐05 as Sony/ATV Harmony/Melody), Mills Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Harmony and Lafleur Music Ltd. (from 1995-12-12 to present)
2:48
7In a Sentimental Mood
alto saxophone:
Otto Hardwick (on 1945-05-14) and Johnny Hodges (on 1945-05-14)
double bass:
Bob Haggart (on 1945-05-14)
drums (drum set):
Sonny Greer (on 1945-05-14)
guitar:
Fred Guy (on 1945-05-14)
piano:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (on 1945-05-14)
reeds:
Harry Carney (on 1945-05-14) and Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1945-05-14)
tenor saxophone:
Al Sears (on 1945-05-14)
trombone:
Lawrence Brown (jazz trombonist) (on 1945-05-14), Claude Jones (on 1945-05-14) and Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (on 1945-05-14)
trumpet:
William “Cat” Anderson (on 1945-05-14), Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (on 1945-05-14), Taft Jordan (on 1945-05-14), Ray Nance (on 1945-05-14) and Rex Stewart (on 1945-05-14)
recording of:
In a Sentimental Mood (on 1945-05-14)
lyricist:
Manny Kurtz and Irving Mills
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1935)
publisher:
American Academy of Music, Inc., Famous Music Corporation (renamed since 2007‐05 as Sony/ATV Harmony/Melody), J. R. Lafleur & Son Ltd., Lafleur Music Ltd., Mills Music and Sony/ATV Harmony
3:04
8It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
recording of:
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (on 1945-05-14)
lyricist:
Irving Mills (in 1931)
composer:
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (Duke Ellington, US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1931-08)
publisher:
Duke Ellington Music and EMI Mills Music (ASCAP-affiliated)
included in:
The Real Book (compilation of jazz standards, volume I)
3:00
9Sophisticated Lady
alto saxophone:
Otto Hardwick (on 1945-05-14) and Johnny Hodges (on 1945-05-14)
double bass:
Bob Haggart (on 1945-05-14)
drums (drum set):
Sonny Greer (on 1945-05-14)
guitar:
Fred Guy (on 1945-05-14)
piano:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (on 1945-05-14)
reeds:
Harry Carney (on 1945-05-14) and Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1945-05-14)
trombone:
Lawrence Brown (jazz trombonist) (on 1945-05-14), Claude Jones (on 1945-05-14) and Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (on 1945-05-14)
trumpet:
William “Cat” Anderson (on 1945-05-14), Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (on 1945-05-14), Taft Jordan (on 1945-05-14), Ray Nance (on 1945-05-14) and Rex Stewart (on 1945-05-14)
recording of:
Sophisticated Lady (on 1945-05-14)
lyricist:
Mitchell Parish and Irving Mills (in 1932)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1932)
publisher:
Duke Ellington Music (ended), Mills Music, Inc. (ended), EMI Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP-affiliated), Famous Music Corporation (renamed since 2007‐05 as Sony/ATV Harmony/Melody) (until 2007-05) and Sony/ATV Harmony (from 2007-05 to present)
included in:
The Real Book (compilation of jazz standards, volume I)
part of:
Sophisticated Ladies (1981 musical)
2:40
10I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
recording of:
I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (on 1945-05-15)
lyricist:
Irving Mills (in 1938), Henry Nemo (in 1938) and John Redmond (House vocalist) (in 1938)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1938)
included in:
The Real Book (compilation of jazz standards, volume I)
3:03
11Solitude
recording of:
(In My) Solitude (on 1945-05-15)
lyricist:
Eddie DeLange (in 1934) and Irving Mills (in 1934)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1934)
publisher:
American Academy of Music, Inc., De Lange Music Co., EMI Mills Music Inc. (ASCAP-affiliated) and J. R. Lafleur & Son Ltd.
3:06
12Things Ain't What They Used to Be
recording of:
Things Ain’t What They Used to Be (on 1945-05-30)
lyricist:
Ted Persons
composer:
Mercer Ellington (in 1942)
publisher:
Tempo Music, Inc. (Duke Ellington’s music publishing company)
3:08
13I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So
recording of:
I’m Just a Lucky So and So (on 1945-11-26)
lyricist:
Mack David (American lyricist and songwriter) (in 1945)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1945)
publisher:
Paramount Music Corporation and PolyGram International (renamed Universal PolyGram International Publishing, Inc. circa 1998)
3:11
14Tonk
recording of:
Tonk (on 1946-01-10)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) and Billy Strayhorn
2:49
15Transblucency
alto saxophone:
Johnny Hodges (on 1946-07-09) and Russell Procope (on 1946-07-09)
cornet:
Ray Nance (on 1946-07-09)
double bass:
Oscar Pettiford (on 1946-07-09)
drums (drum set):
Sonny Greer (on 1946-07-09)
guitar:
Fred Guy (on 1946-07-09)
piano:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (on 1946-07-09)
reeds:
Harry Carney (on 1946-07-09), Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1946-07-09) and Russell Procope (on 1946-07-09)
tenor saxophone:
Al Sears (on 1946-07-09)
trombone:
Lawrence Brown (jazz trombonist) (on 1946-07-09), Wilbur de Paris (on 1946-07-09), Claude Jones (on 1946-07-09) and Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton (on 1946-07-09)
trumpet:
William “Cat” Anderson (on 1946-07-09), Harold “Shorty” Baker (on 1946-07-09), Shelton "Scad" Hemphill (on 1946-07-09), Taft Jordan (on 1946-07-09), Ray Nance (on 1946-07-09) and Francis Williams (trumpeter) (on 1946-07-09)
vocals:
Kay Davis (on 1946-07-09)
3:01
16Just Squeeze Me
recorded in:
Los Angeles, California, United States (on 1946-07-09)
alto saxophone:
Johnny Hodges (on 1946-07-09) and Russell Procope (on 1946-07-09)
baritone saxophone:
Harry Carney (on 1946-07-09)
clarinet:
Harry Carney (on 1946-07-09) and Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1946-07-09)
double bass:
Oscar Pettiford (on 1946-07-09)
drums (drum set):
Sonny Greer (on 1946-07-09)
guitar:
Fred Guy (on 1946-07-09)
piano:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (on 1946-07-09)
tenor saxophone:
Jimmy Hamilton (US jazz clarinettist/saxophonist, arranger, composer) (on 1946-07-09) and Al Sears (on 1946-07-09)
trombone:
Lawrence Brown (jazz trombonist) (on 1946-07-09), Joe Nanton (on 1946-07-09), Claude Jones (on 1946-07-09) and Wilbur De Paris (on 1946-07-09)
trumpet:
William “Cat” Anderson (on 1946-07-09), Harold “Shorty” Baker (on 1946-07-09), Taft Jordan (on 1946-07-09), Ray Nance (on 1946-07-09), Shelton Hemphill (on 1946-07-09) and Francis Williams (trumpeter) (on 1946-07-09)
violin:
Ray Nance (on 1946-07-09)
vocals:
Ray Nance (on 1946-07-09)
recording of:
Just Squeeze Me (but Don’t Tease Me) (on 1946-07-09)
lyricist:
Lee Gaines (in 1941)
composer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) (in 1941)
3:20
17St. Louis Blues
recording of:
St. Louis Blues (on 1946-09-03)
lyricist and composer:
William Christopher Handy (in 1913)
publisher:
Handy Bros. Music Co., Inc.
sub-publisher:
Reuter & Reuter Förlags AB
3:00
18Esquire Swank
recording of:
Esquire Swank (on 1946-09-03)
writer:
Duke Ellington (US composer, pianist & jazz bandleader) and Billy Strayhorn
3:28