2010-04-20

Duke Ellington at the "400" Restaurant (N.Y.)

Here's another piece of Ellington memorabilia.


From ebay, this is a program signed by Duke Ellington from an engagement at the "400" Restaurant (5th Avenue at 43rd Street, N.Y.). The auction states that it is from June, 1949 but, according to the current version of the Duke Ellington Itinerary, that month the orchestra was coming from a Canadian tour (starting on May 23 in Belleville and ending on June 4 in Peterborough), playing in cities such as Detroit, Wilberforce, Indianapolis, Toledo, Windsor, South Bend, Peoria and Madison, and ending with an engagement at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee (June 23-29).



So, despite the handwritten note at the bottom left of the second photograh, you can infer that the auction text is wrong, which is confirmed by the fact that, by 1949, Joya Sherrill and Rex Stewart had long left the band (1946 and 1945, respectively). This program must be from 1945, as the Duke Ellington orchestra had an engagement at the "400" Club/Restaurant from April 4 to April 30 and then a few concerts on May).


4 comentarios:

  1. Who cares what year it was, and let us not mourn too long the fact that Ben Webster had left the band and Jimmie Blanton was dead. Can we go? Let me know on which NYC corner we should meet, Agustin. I'll be wearing a hat --- Michael

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  2. Let us pass over small griefs -- the death of Blanton, the fact that Webster had left the band. Can we go? Where shall we meet? On which New York City corner? I'll be wearing a loud shirt and carrying some form of recorder. Hope to see you soon, Agustin! Cheers, Michael

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  3. Beautiful blog, and what amazing memorabilia! You may have this already but here is a recording of Duke's band playing at this very club, the 400 Restaurant, on April 28,1945!!!!

    http://www.mediafire.com/?lmg7j837qcwmvb2

    Enjoy!

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  4. Hola!

    La fecha podria ser alrededor del ano 1946...

    Django Reinhardt dijò en un intervista a un periodista frances que el habia encontrado Benny Goodman al "400" club en New-York y que no pude tocar con el por problemas sindacales.
    Sabemos que Django ha hecho un tour en los Estados Unidos entre Noviembre del 1946 y febrero 1947. En el programa se puede veer tambien que Goodman ha sido programado.
    La venida di Goodman en este restaurant ha sido documentado por el fotografo Gottlieb con una fecha alrededor del 1946.

    Muchas gracias para todas estas informaciones!

    Cordialmente

    Marc Masselin

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