This is simply amazing stuff – I have been listening all afternoon in the background at work, and the video and sound quality are excellent! This is a full-length concert from 1958, appparently the earliest known such event recorded on film! A couple of years earlier Duke had experienced what he called his ‘second birth’ at Newport, a concert famously recorded and available on CD.
Here is the full blog post:
The film I’ve put on my YouTube channel features the earliest known filmed full-length concert by one of the 20th Century’s greatest songwriters and bandleaders. Filmed at Amsterdam’s famed Concertgebouw (The Netherlands), this 80-minute concert features the 16-piece Duke Ellington Orchestra two years after their stunning performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, which Duke considered his second birth. This epic performance includes legendary players Clark Terry, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Quentin Jackson and Ray Nance performing some of the most beloved American music ever written.
Now enjoy a full 81 minute Duke Ellington concert!
Source: NEO•GRIOT via Perfect Sounds