The great Orchestra was still intact and in its late prime at the time of this performance from 1968. With the death of Billy the year before, (perhaps sensing his own mortality) accelerated his writing activities, proving that even as he neared 70, he was still at his peak. Other than a Johnny Hodges medley and the theme ("Take the 'A' Train"), all of the music on this set was fairly new. Included are showcases for Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves and Cat Anderson, an 11-minute "The Little Purple Flower,""Swamp Goo" (which gives Russell Procope a chance to play some New orleans-style clarinet) and a jazz version of Yale's famous "Boola, Boola."– Scott Yanow
Tracks
1. The Little Purple Flower Parts I & II (Elington)
2. Put-Tin (Ellington-Stayhorn)
3. A Chromatic Love Affair (Ellington)
4. Boola, Boola (Allen Hirsch)
5. A Johnny Hodges Medley:
Warm valley (Ellington)
Drag (Ellington)
6. Salome (Ray Fol)
7. Swamp Goo (Ellington)
8. Up-Jump (Ellington)
9. Take The “A” Train (Billy Strayhorn)
DUKE ELLINGTON– piano
CAT ANDERSON– trumpet, flugelhorn
COOTIE WILLIAMS– trumpet
MERCER ELLINGTON– trumpet
HERBIE JONES– trumpet
LAWRENCE BROWN– trombones
BUSTER COOPER– trombones
CHUCK CONNORS– trombones
JOHNNY HODGES, RUSSELL PROSCOPE,
PAUL GONSALVES, JIMMY HAMILTON,
HARRY CARNEY –reeds
JEFF CASTLEMAN – bass
SAM WOODYARD –drums
Recorded at Woolsey Hall, New Haven, CT
January 26, 1968
Fantasy F- 9433 (1973)