Duke Ellington leads the Symphony of the Air (composed of former members of the NBC Symphony Orchestra) in the world premiere of his work “New World A-Comin,” feat. pianist Don Shirley. At New York City’s Carnegie Hall. March 16, 1955.
If you're listening to jazz radio or you find yourself reading these words on a jazz radio station's website, you probably already know the immutable laws of Duke Ellington’s universe: The A-Train’s the quickest way to Harlem. It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. And what exactly that IT is — the thing supposedly rendered meaningless in the absence of swing — well, that’s unknowable.
Read full article at: Black History Month 2026: An Exploration of Duke Ellington's Extended Works