”Without dispute, [Duke Ellington] is the most widely performed of all jazz composers.” This statement from my book Ellington at the White House, 1969, was based in part on settled knowledge but also on the recent work of Ted Gioia in his five-star The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire.
In his book, Mr. Gioia delineates and discusses more than 250 standards. Top honors go to Ellington and associates (son Mercer, Billy Strayhorn, Juan Tizol), as shown below:
In his book, Mr. Gioia delineates and discusses more than 250 standards. Top honors go to Ellington and associates (son Mercer, Billy Strayhorn, Juan Tizol), as shown below:
| Duke Ellington 20 George Gershwin 15 Richard Rodgers 11 Cole Porter 9 Jimmy Van Heusen 7 Carlos Jobim 7 | Jerome Kern 7 Hoagy Carmichael 4 Harold Arlen 3 Fats Waller 3 Irving Berlin 1 |
The 20 standards composed by Ellington and associates are:
| Caravan Chelsea Bridge C-Jam Blues Come Sunday Cotton Tail Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me Don’t Get Around Much Anymore I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart In a Mellow Tone | In a Sentimental Mood It Don’t Mean a Thing Mood Indigo Perdido Prelude to a Kiss Satin Doll Solitude Sophisticated Lady Take the “A-Train” Things Ain’t What They Used to Be |
All the above songs (save for “C-Jam Blues” and “Cotton Tail”) were played by the all-star band at the Nixon White House 70th birthday tribute concert for Duke Ellington on April 29, 1969. The US Army Strolling Strings played “Solitude” at the banquet.
It was an Ellington standards night at the White House.
It was an Ellington standards night at the White House.
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