National Museum of American History | Duke Ellington’s “Cotton Tail”: A Performance by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet @SmithsonianAmHistory | Uploaded February 2022 | Updated October 2024, 52 minutes ago.
Join the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet for a performance of Duke Ellington’s “Cotton Tail.”

This Duke Ellington composition “Cotton Tail” was originally recorded on May 4, 1940, for his orchestra which historians also referred as the period of the “Blanton-Webster Band” from 1940 to1942. The original recording showcases an iconic solo from saxophonist Ben Webster, who is still recognized today for his brilliance as a soloist. The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Quintet pays tribute to Ellington and Webster with this spirited rendition of “Cotton Tail.”

🎧 To hear the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra’s recording of “Cotton Tail” go to: https://folkways.si.edu/the-smithsonian-jazz-masterworks-orchestra/cotton-tail/historical-song-jazz-ragtime/music/track/smithsonian

👩🏽‍💻Learn more about the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and Smithsonian Jazz: https://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz

Access the Duke Ellington Collection at the museum’s archive center: https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.0301

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