Ellington, Duke. (1899-1974)
Signed 1963 Program from Damascus, Syria Performance
Interesting signed program from a Damascus performance on Ellington's 1963 State Department tour of the Middle East and South Asia. With multiple pictures of Ellington and his band and texts in Arabic, the program is signed on the inside front cover: "To Bassam / good luck / Duke Ellington." 12 pp. Light wear to the edges and spine; overall in fine condition. 9.5 x 6.5 inches (24.6 x 16.8 cm).Damascus was the first stop on the ambitious tour, which criss-crossed through the Middle East in September-November 1963, stopping in Jordan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, the major cities of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq. Duke and his orchestra left New York City on September 6, 1963 for Damascus, and played two concerts in Syria (9 & 11 Sep), one before an audience of 17000. According to Ellington researcher David Palmquist, the tour was originally supposed to be 14 weeks, but the final concerts were cancelled when President Kennedy was murdered and the band arrived back in New York on November 28. (12343)
Signed Document/Item Jazz