Eight of the selections on this interesting CD feature Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on pianos, with backup work by either Wendell Marshall or Joe Shulman on bass plus an unidentified drummer on a few numbers. Among the more notable selections are "Cotton Tail," "C Jam Blues," "Johnny Come Lately," and particularly a wild version of "Tonk." These performances are easily available on Prestige, while the other numbers have mostly been put out by Columbia. The latter's big-band selections include the initial studio recording of "The Tattooed Bride" and a lengthy exploration (utilizing Yvonne Lanauze's wordless vocals) of "Mood Indigo." This is rewarding music, but one might want to acquire these numbers through Prestige and Sony/Columbia instead, where they fit more into specific concepts. Scott Yanow Tracklist + Credits :
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