[greene66]

My two favorite phases of Ellington’s music... his late-1920s era, with hot numbers like “Jubilee Stomp.” And then, his late-30s/early-40s big-band era recordings, like “The Sergeant Was Shy” and “Main Stem.”

[Fiji Hill]

My top five favorite tunes by Duke Ellington

1. Creole Love Call (1928)

2. Black and Tan Fantasy (1928)

3. Three Little Words (1930)

4. The Mooche (1928)

5. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (1927)

[greene66]

Ellington’s tune “It Don’t Mean a Thing” technically pre-dates the swing/big-band era by a few years. The Boswell Sisters recorded a really jaw-dropping version of it.