Incredibly Clear Duke Ellington Recording Surfaces Online

Last week OffBeat posted a story about a pair of incredible 1920s-era Louis Armstrong recordings that had surfaced online. The tracks–a 1929 rendition of “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and a 1928 version of “Knee Drops”–were taken from a metal “mother record” that Okeh Records sent to Germany’s Odeon Records for pressing.

Hold on to your hats, jazz aficionados, because it looks like there’s even more where that came from!

As we previously reported, those Armstrong recordings were transferred to a digital format by sound engineer Nick Dellow, and posted to the YouTube account of his friend, Jonathan Holmes. Earlier today, Holmes notified us of a new track, this time from jazz juggernaut Duke Ellington.

The recording–originally laid down in New York City on October 1, 1928–finds Ellington and His Orchestra performing the big band classic “Hot and Bothered.” Like the crystal clear Armstrong tracks, this tune was transferred from one of Okeh’s metal mother discs.

Give it a listen:

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, “Hot and Bothered,” New York City, October 1, 1928.