Duke Ellington "The Letter"

[slide_advantage_redoux]

I just bought a rtr tape on ebay the other day. On one side of the tape is a jazz program called "The Jazz Scene", with performances by a number of various jazz artists.

One side 2 of the tape is an interesting thing called "The Letter". It is clearly Duke Ellington's narration. What he is reading sounds like a letter being read aloud. This is very intriguing. Does anyone here, possibly a fan who is aware of this?

In the background you can hear other voices. Laughter, piano playing, an overheard phone conversation; all sorts of stuff. Almost like it is taking place during a party.

Any answers? Was this a television production? Radio?

Thanks!

[EKE BBB]

Looking through "Appendix C - Duke Ellington on Television" of Strateman´s book, I found this entry for May 6, 1959:

-May 6, unidentify TV channel - Dateline Boston - "Jazz Scene" [broadcast date; on Channel 5; pre-taped]

No more information. Not sure if this may be somehow related to your tape.

[JSngry]

This should probably be moved to Discogrpahy for better focus, but is that the only listing for that performance? It hasn't been issued anywhere, legitimately or otherwise?

Hmmmm....You might have something there, Gregg....

[JSngry]

Up, for further inspection.

[medjuck]

I posted your question to the Duke-Lym list and got the following response:

Could you give me a few lines from the letter? I know of one instance from the Carter-Harmon tapes where Ellington (sort of inexplicably) read a letter out loud and as I recall it was backstage in Las Vegas with lots of stage noise in the background. This would be around 1964 to 1965.

Annie

[JSngry]

What are the Carter-Harmon tapes?

[medjuck]

I think -- but am not sure-- that they are a series of interviews done for a biography of Ellington that was abandond when the writer realized that EKE was never going to be entirely forthcoming.

[slide_advantage_redoux]

I am having a little trouble with this RTR player. Getting a lot of bleed between tracks, and in some places tunes recorded on the other track (in reverse!) make it difficult to clearly understand what he is saying.

I will play it again and see what I can clearly decipher. I will also contact the seller. Hopefully he can provide some clues to this tape's origin.

More later. thanks!