Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings, 1926-1931

Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings, 1926-1931 (1994) is a compilation of Duke Ellington's early sides for the Brunswick and Vocalion labels, documenting his orchestra's work from the late 1920s into the early 1930s. The recordings present early jazz and proto-swing arrangements marked by stride-influenced piano, blues-inflected themes, and inventive orchestration that emphasizes tone color and distinctive soloists. The set captures Ellington's formative experiments in texture and ensemble voicing that foreshadow his later big band work.