ELLINGTON, Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ (1899-1974).

Two concert programmes and a signed revue card for Duke Ellington’s first European tour in 1933.

Rare revue card from Punch’s Club, Mayfair Hotel, London, 20 June 1933, signed in pencil by Ellington and all fourteen members of his orchestra including Charlie “Cootie” Williams, Fred Jenkins, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Juan Tizol and vocalist Ivie Anderson, additionally signed by tour promoter Jack Hylton; with a scarce concert programme for Duke Ellington at the Trocadero Cinema, London, 25 June 1933; and a tour programme for Ellington’s first appearances in France in July and August 1933.

The Ellington Orchestra began its first European tour in London on 5 June 1933 ahead of a 55-day concert tour of England, Holland and France. The band’s first performances at the London Palladium were sold out, breaking all previous box-office records. After successfully touring other major British cities, the band returned to London where they played this one-night engagement at London’s Mayfair Hotel. Five days later, the band played to a packed house at London’s Trocadero Cinema, the largest theatre in Europe. Ellington biographer John Hasse makes particular mention of the Trocadero programme as an ‘elaborate twenty-four page program… presenting the musicians as serious artists, Ellington as a serious composer and his compositions as true works of art. Nothing like this had ever been done for Ellington in the United States. Even when he would finally be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in the 1940’s the program booklets were not nearly as elaborate’.

Single fold revue card, 204 x 128 mm, opening to 204 x 255 mm. Trocadero programme wire-stitched in the original light card wraps, with printed glassine overlay wrapper, 304 x 233 mm. French programme wire-stitched in photographic self-wraps, with original glassine overlay wrap, 251 x 202 mm.

[With:] – Mood Indigo. New York: Mills Music, 1931. First edition of the printed piano-vocal score, signed in blue ink on the cover by Duke Ellington. Original three colour printed self-wraps, 307 x 232 mm.