Take the "A" Train is the vibrant signature composition of Duke Ellington, the most important composer in the history of jazz, also a rare bandleader who held his large group together for almost 50 years. It is quite impossible for one album to capture the full flavour and rich diversity of Duke Ellington’s music and orchestra. The eight tracks here offer a remarkably well-balanced sample of the prolific repertoire – the immortal compositions, the arresting arrangements, the outstanding soloists and, not least, the distinctive solo work of the piano player, Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke who became King of Orchestral Jazz.

The superb November 1960 session recorded by the Ben Webster-Johnny Hodges sextet in studio conditions at the Jazz Cellar, in San Francisco (without an audience). It is presented here in its complete form for the first time ever. These recordings are exceptional in that no other date exists in their collaborative discography featuring them as the only horns. The two great saxophonists were the only horn players heard at the session. They were backed by a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums. As bonus, to this new DSD release has added a complete (and very rare) octet session featuring Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra from August 27, 1964.

One of the giants of the alto saxophone, Johnny Hodges was perhaps the most important soloist and sideman in Duke Ellington's orchestra from 1928 up to Hodges' death in 1970. The self-taught player made many solo forays during his long career - one of his '50s outfits included a young John Coltrane - but history remembers Hodges for his virtuosic sidemanship, particularly his sensitive rendering of ballads.

"Midnight in Paris" is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1962 for the Columbia label. The album features performances of compositions inspired by or associated with Paris…

The experimental "Afro-Bossa" features Duke Ellington pushing his talented group to their limits. The jazz master tosses around the forms he knows so well. Other players include Cat Anderson, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, and Cootie Williams. There is plenty of cornet, violin and plunger-muted trumpets.

"Ellington ‘65" is an illuminating eleven-track album of standards from the legendary Duke Ellington. The album is among the very best in his career and highlights some of the most exceptional performances from veteran players like Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope and Lawrence Brown. With blistering horn arrangements, the ensemble delivers passionate and virtuosic performances on songs like “Hello, Dolly!”, “Never on Sunday”, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. A must have for any music library.

The Count Meets the Duke is an album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961. On stereo releases of the album, Basie's band is featured on the left channel and Ellington's on the right.

"Piano in the Foreground" is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961. It features Ellington in a piano trio setting, emphasising his own keyboard prowess rather than the big band arrangements more typical of his recordings.

During the year of 1966 Duke Ellington was touring Europe. Duke Ellington s sacred concerts had many incarnations, more than the three on the commercial records: The First (1965), The Second (1968) and The Third (1973). At concerts Ellington often made changes in the proceedings left out some numbers, and played others, and altered the succession of numbers played. This was evidenced at Coventry Cathedral on a winter's Monday, February 21st 1966.

Two titans of jazz come together in a rare and highly acclaimed collaboration, recorded in 1962. At the time, Duke Ellington had been working with various veteran jazz artists of the day such as Louis Armstrong and Count Basie, but John Coltrane was half Ellington's age and not nearly as famous at the time as he was going to be. For these small group sessions, each headliner brought his own bassist and drummer, who play in various combinations on the seven songs.