Scenery

Any excuse to post these two sterling portraits of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. They are contained within the pages of a sumptuous album set of 78s called The Jazz Scene - a series of  sessions supervised by Norman Granz which were recorded and released in 1947.

Click on the link in the paragraph above for full details of the album. A copy is presently up for auction on eBay, from which listing derive the photographs which follow.

Despite his portrait being included, Ellington himself does not play on these sessions (which is not to say he wasn't present). it is Strayhorn's touch on the piano and the featured artist is a rare moment in the spotlight for Harry Carney...

The most significant fact of the session featuring Duke's men, perhaps, is that this was the final recording session of the guitarist who had been with Ellington for a quarter of a century, Fred Guy who subsequent to these sessions retired to Chicago where he ran a ballroom for twenty years. He committed suicide in 1971.

The luxurious presentation of this album (which truly justifies the use of that word) is evident from the photographs here. Bidding at present, with twenty four hours to go, stands at $157.50. Needless to say (needle-less as well since I have no gramophone), I am not participating.

There is some interesting broadcast material about the album as well here. The perfect listening accompaniment while, to quote the poet, "my swivel eye hungers" over these images...

Sonny Berman and Lucky Thompson