Mills Ten Blackberries - Velvet Tone 7082 & 7088 (1930)

Here we have the complete recording session output by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra from June 12, 1930.

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams 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 d. 

Recorded in New York on June 12, 1930.

The New York Age

July 12, 1930

Harlem Hot Chocolates - Hit Of The Week 1046 (1930)

This completes the run of Duke's two sides for the Hit Of The Week label.

Sing You Sinners can be heard here.

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 / Irving Mills v.

Recorded in New York in March, 1930.

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 Orchestra - Bluebird 6335 (1929/1930)

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

Recorded in New York on March 7, 1929.

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

Recorded in New York on June 4, 1930.

Duke Ellington And His Cotton Club Orchestra - Victor 38053 (1929)

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

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.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Victor 24617 (1934)

Duke Ellington p, a, dir / Arthur Whetsel, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams t / Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown 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 April 12, 1934.

The Jungle Band - Brunswick 4705 (1929)

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 September 13, 1929.

Duke Ellington's Orchestra (Hot Dance Orchestra) - Victor 38045 (1929)

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

Recorded in New York on February 18, 1929.

Duke Ellington's Orchestra - Victor 38089 (1929)

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

Recorded in New York on September 16, 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.

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.

Johnny Hodges & Orchestra (An Ellington Unit) - Bluebird 11021 (1940)

To me, there's not much that can compare to the sound of Hodges' alto.

Cootie Williams t / Lawrence Brown tb / Johnny Hodges as / Harry Carney bar / Duke Ellington p / Jimmy Blanton sb / Sonny Greer d / Billy Strayhorn a (Day Dream).

Recorded in Chicago on November 2, 1940

Lionel Hampton & Orchestra - Victor 26362 (1939)

Ziggy Elman t / Hymie Schertzer as / Russell Procope ss, as / Jerry Jerome, Chu Berry ts / Clyde Hart p / Danny Barker g / Milt Hinton sb / Cozy Cole d / Lionel Hampton vib.

Recorded in New York on June 9, 1939.

Rex Stewart c / Lawrence Brown tb / Harry Carney bar / Lionel Hampton p / Billy Taylor sb / Sonny Greer d.

Recorded in New York on June 13, 1939.

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 Orchestra (With Lonnie Johnson) - Parlophone R 2258 (1928)

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 / Lonnie Johnson g (Misty Mornin') / Wellman Braud sb / Sonny Greer d.

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Montgomery Ward 4989 (1929-30)

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

Recorded in New York on March 7, 1929.

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

Recorded in New York on June 4, 1930.