Imagine My Frustration
The performance at Cirkus in Stockholm on February 8, 1966 was carried out as one concert with an intermission. Both sets are believed to have been broadcasted by Swedish Television, but video copies of the second part still remain missing – or was it ever broadcast? We however have audio copies and DESS members can now find a copy of the first part in the “Goodies Room”. As mentioned earlier, the format of the concerts during Ellington’s 1966 tour to Europe was that Duke and the orchestra played the first part of the program with Ella Fitzgerald and her trio playing the second. This routine was repeated after the intermission.
The concert starts with Take The A Train after which Ellington announces West Indian Pancake which is a new number where Paul Gonsalves shows what he is able to do . Neaxt the “Piano player” sits down at the piano to tinkle at tune known to everybody as Kinda Dukish which continues into one of the Ellington oldies, Rockin’ In Rhythm. La Plus Belle Africaine, one of Ellington’s more ambitious works, is also new for this season, and is often played in the years to come. To conclude the first part of the concert, Ellington announces The Opener as the closing number.Duke is now introducing “The First Lady Of Jazz”, Ella Fitzgerald and her trio, consisting of Jimmy Jones (paino and leader), Joe Comfort (bass) and Gus Johnson (drums). Various members of the orchestra are partly backing up Ella and her trio, Duke resting. This part of the programme starts with a Bacharach tune called Wives And Lovers (AKA Hey, Little Girl) and continues with Sweet Georgia Brown and So Danco Samba. Next is How High The Moon sounding like a medley, whereafter Ellington sits down at the piano and performs Imagine My Frustration with Ella and the orchestra, but with Comfort and Johnson still playing bass and drums. The first part of the concert ends with Duke’s Place,