Duke Ellington & His Washingtonians - Gennett 3342 (1926)

The earliest Ellington in my collection.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Charlie Johnson t / Joe Nanton or Charlie Irvis tb / Otto Hardwick as, bar / Prince Robinson cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Henry Edwards bb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on June 21, 1926.

Duke Ellington & His Washingtonians - Columbia 953 (1927)

This is my favorite version of East St. Louis Toodle-O.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwick ss, as, bar / ? Prince Robinson and another cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Henry Edwards bb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on March 22, 1927.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Brunswick 3987 (1928)

Hands down, my favorite personality in all of jazz is Johnny Hodges. The unmistakable sound of his alto is otherworldly.

Although he had stints with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Lucky Roberts and Chick Webb, he didn't record until he joined Ellington’s orchestra.

Here we have his debut recordings from 1928.

Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Johnny Hodges cl, as, ss / Harry Carney cl, as / Duke Ellington p / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on June 25, 1928.

The Jungle Band - Brunswick 4345 (1929)

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins t / Joe Nanton tb / Johnny Hodges cl, ss, as / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer.

Recorded in New York on January 8 (Voom) & March 1 (Rent), 1929.

The Washingtonians - Harmony 557 (1928)

If memory serves me right, this was the first 78 I purchased on eBay back in the '90s. I do believe that I created my account after seeing this listing in order to bid.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwick ss, as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on January 9, 1928.

Bubber Miley & His Mileage Makers - Victor 38138 (1930)

Bubber Miley, Ward Pinkett & another t / Wilbur de Paris tb / Hilton Jefferson & another cl, as / Happy Caldwell ts / Earl Frazier p, cel / Bernard Addison & another bj, g / Bill Benford bb / Tommy Benford d / Frank Marvin v.

Recorded in New York on May 16, 1930.

The Washingtonians / The Arkansas Travellers - Diva 2601 (1927-28)

Recorded just one month after taking up their engagement at the Cotton Club.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwick ss, as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on January 9, 1928.

Red Nichols t / Miff Mole tb / Pee Wee Russell or Fud Livingston cl / Fred Morrow as / Rube Bloom p / Vic Berton d.

Recorded in New York on September 14, 1927.

Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra - Victor 38036

A nice trade netted this one...Thanks, Swingman1938!

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins t / Joe Nanton tb / Johnny Hodges cl, ss, as / Otto Hardwick as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d, chimes.

Recorded in New York on January 16, 1929.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Victor 21137 (1927)

Gotta love early Ellington!

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley , Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwick ss, as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Rudy Jackson cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d / Adelaide Hall v.

Recorded in New York on October 6, 1927.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Okeh 8623 (1928)

Duke Ellington p, a dir / Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel t / Joe Nanton tb / Johnny Hodges cl, as, ss / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Lonnie Johnson g / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d / Baby Cox v.

Recorded in New York on October 1, 1928.

Clarence Williams Stompers - Okeh 40598 (1926)

I'm a big Bubber Miley fan.

Bubber Miley, Thomas Morris c / ? Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton tb / Don Redman cl, as, v / Clarence Williams p / Leroy Harris or Buddy Christian bj / Harry Edwards bb.

Recorded in New York on April 7, 1926.

Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra - Brunswick 3987 (1928)

Hands down, my favorite personality in all of jazz is Johnny Hodges. The unmistakable sound of his alto is otherworldly.

Although he had stints with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Lucky Roberts and Chick Webb, he didn't record until he joined Ellington’s orchestra.

Here we have his debut recordings from 1928.

Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel, Louis Metcalf t / Joe Nanton tb / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Johnny Hodges cl, as, ss / Harry Carney cl, as / Duke Ellington p / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on June 25, 1928.

Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra - Victor 38007 (1928)

From wikipedia...

Wellman Braud (January 25, 1891 – October 29, 1966) was a Creole American jazz upright bassist. His family sometimes spelled their last name "Breaux", pronounced "Bro".

Born in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Braud came to New Orleans, in his early teens. He was playing violin and the upright bass and leading a trio in venues in the Storyville District before 1910. He moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1917. In 1923 he went to London with the Plantation Orchestra, in which he doubled on bass and trombone. Next he moved to New York City where he played with Wilber Sweatman's band before joining Duke Ellington. His vigorous melodic bass playing, alternately plucking, slapping, and bowing, was an important feature of the early Ellington Orchestra sound in the 1920s and 1930s. Braud's playing on Ellington's regular radio broadcasts and recordings helped popularize the slap style of string bass playing, as well as encouraging many dance bands of the time to switch from using a tuba to an Upright bass. (Like many of his contemporary New Orleans bassists, Braud doubled on tuba, and he recorded on that instrument on some sides with Ellington.)

In 1936 Braud co-managed a short lived Harlem club with Jimmie Noone, and recorded with the group Spirits of Rhythm from 1935 to 1937. He played with other New York bands including those of Kaiser Marshall, Hot Lips Page, and Sidney Bechet, and returned for a while to Ellington in 1944. In 1956 he joined the Kid Ory Band with whom he stayed for years.

He is a distant relative of Branford Marsalis and Branford's brothers through their mother's side.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins t / Joe Nanton tb / Johnny Hodges cl, as, ss / Otto Hardwick as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d / Ozzie McPherson (Ozie Ware) v.

Recorded in New York on November 15, 1928.

Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds - Okeh 4578 (1922)

Mamie Smith v / ? Bubber Miley c / tb / ? Garvin Bushell cl / ? Leroy Parker vn / Everett Robbins p.

Recorded in New York on February 16, 1922.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Victor 22791 (1927 & 1931)

Had this record for a while but never played it...not even sure where or how I acquired it...but attempting to give it a listen recently, I discovered that it was unplayable. Not sure why but the grooves are not completely round and when the stylus reached a certain part in the rotation, it would jump inward several grooves. I tried heavier tracking but there was no difference. I sleeved it, put it away and basically forgot about it.

Pulling it out today, and remembering the sick feeling of having a wonderful record and not being able to play it, I thought I would try to track it at 33 rpm (45 rpm was still too fast)...and...it didn't jump the grooves! I had recently found out that Audacity software had a speed changer for those who wanted to record 78s but didn't have access to a 78 player.

The pairing of these 2 sides seem a little odd to me (maybe someone can explain it) but they were recorded in 1927 & 1931.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalfe t / Joe Nanton tb / Otto Hardwicke ss, as, bar / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Rudy Jackson cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on December 19, 1927.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams t / Joe Nanton tb / Juan Tizol vtb / Johnny Hodges cl, ss, as / Harry Carney cl, as, bar / Barney Bigard cl, ts / Fred Guy bj / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on June 16, 1931.

Harlem Trio / Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds - Okeh 8072 (1922-23)

Continuing with another Bubber Miley track...I think.

Johnny Dunn, Bubber Miley ? c / Herb Flemming ? tb / Garvin Bushell ? cl, as / Herschel Brassfield ? as / Coleman Hawkins ts / Everett Robbins ? p / Sam Speed bj / d.

Recorded in New York on August 15, 1922.

George McClennon cl / Eddie Heywood p / bj.

Recorded in New York in April 1923.