Duke Ellington’s 40th birthday on 29 April 1939 was celebrated in Stockholm from the early morning into the late night. The highlight was the concert at the Stockholm Concert Hall – the next to last one of Ellington’s long tour of Sweden – but there were also a lot of other things.
It started in the early morning at the hotel.
Orkesterjournalen – the Swedish jazz magazine still in existence – reported about it all.
Then there was the interview on the Swedish Radio (excerpt)
The birthday celebration continued at the concert with “Ja må han leva” and more and then at the Fenix-Kronprinsen night club where Duke, according to Orkesterjournalen, danced with Ivie Anderson.
Today is another Duke Ellington birthday and another celebration.
[…] The article is available here. […]