Duke Ellington – Duke Ellington On Mercer – Great Times – CD

This collection compiles, for the first time on a single disc issue, all the master takes of the instrumental recordings in which Duke Ellington participated for Mercer Records between 1950 and 1951. Made under the names of other band members – for contractual reasons, these sides feature the likes of Johnny Hodges, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, Billy Strayhorn, Louie Bellson, Juan Tizol and Willie Smith. These sides remain among the most unusual and fascinating in Duke’s extensive catalogue. Unfortunately, the masters for these recordings were destroyed in a fire in the 1950’s. For this issue they have been transferred and restored from the best possible surviving sources and remastered to the best quality possible.

1 Perdido
2 Take The “A” Train
3 Oscalypso
4 Blues For Blanton
5 Untitled Blues/Blues No. 3
6 The New Piano Roll Blues
7 Cotton Tail
8 C Jam Blues
9 Flamingo
10 Bang-Up Blues
11 Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
12 Tonk
13 Johnny Come Lately
14 In A Blue Summer Garden
15 Great Times
16 Night Walk (Aka “Cat Walk”)
17 Moonlight Fiesta
18 She
19 The Happening
20 Swamp Drum
21 Sultry Serenade
22 Indian Summer
23 Britt – And – Butter Blues
24 Caravan
25 Alternate
26 Hoppin’ John
27 Jumping With Symphony Sid