Duke Ellington - Salle Pleyel, Paris

Salle Pleyel, Paris, France. American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington was a major figure of the golden age of jazz. He gained national attention in the late 1920s when his ensemble was the house band at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City. With his orchestra, he made hundreds of recordings. Seen here at Paris' Salle Pleyel in November 1958, his concert features amazing performances by Ellington and his orchestra of âSuch Sweet Thunderâ, and âNewport Upâ, featuring wonderful solos of Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Clark Terry (trumpet), and Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone). Naturally, the concert closes with Ellingtonâs signature tune, âTake the âAâ Trainâ, composed by Ellington's frequent collaborator Billy Strayhorn.