Earliest Date with the Duke?

What was Duke Ellington up to in 1921 while Bubber Miley was variously recording sides with blues singers?

A  clue to Ellington's activities was recently discovered by researcher Steve Bowie who broadcasts the excellent podcast Ellington Reflections.

Duke Ellington's Jazz Bandits played for dancing on 30 September, 1921 at Assembly Rooms, Annapolis, MD, returning for an engagement on 24 October.

Here are two pictures of the venue at 150 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, MD.

From the billing in the newspaper ad, it is significant to note that one of the players is Otto Hardwick, a key player in such a small ensemble since he could play bass as well as saxophone.

Further speculation on the description in the ad from the Duke-LYM internet discussion group is that the claim Duke Ellington: world’s greatest piano player probably relates to the growing reputation Ellington had in the Washington area (Annapolis is just 32 miles from Washington) after he memorized James P. Johnson’s piano roll of Carolina Shout. The GRS piano roll had been cut in May, 1921 and Ellington worked on memorizing it using a slowed down player piano during the summer of 1921. Duke would actually appear on the same program as James P. Johnson on 25 November, 1921 in Washington DC. 

'Idolized Paris' and 'Two years London's scream' is advertising hyperbole likely less a reference to Duke than the 'banjorean' William White whose fame was 'international'.