Ellington, Duke. (1899-1974)
Al Celley Archive of Ellington Manuscripts, Photographs and Ephemera
An important grouping of Ellingtoniana from the collection Al Celley, Ellington’s friend and manager from 1942 to 1964. Al Celley handled every aspect of the band’s business for those 22 years, and his collection of Ellington memorabilia includes unpublished manuscript drafts, personal photos, publicity materials and ephemera spanning a large portion of Ellington’s recording career. Of particular interest are the autograph manuscript notes and revised typescript for Ellington's historic "Black, Brown, and Beige." As follows:MANUSCRIPTS
a. Handwritten Narrative for the "Beige" Movement of "Black, Brown, and Beige." Three pages, in pencil in Duke Ellington's hand, on the verso of a typed script from an Ellington radio appearance on "Treasury Star Parade." "Harlem - Black Metropolis / the story of Hot Harlem was told in the far corners of the Earth / Boom Boom Boom Boom..." In fine condition. Black, Brown and Beige is a jazz symphony written by Duke Ellington for his first concert at Carnegie Hall, on January 23, 1943 and is his longest and most ambitious composition. Ellington introduced it at Carnegie Hall as "a tone parallel to the history of the Negro in America." “'Black' focused on slavery, drawing on early work songs and spirituals, 'Brown' 'recognized the contribution made by the Negro to this country in blood' (MM 181), and 'Beige' followed the rise of a black community in Harlem. Ellington gave spoken introductions to each section, which form the basis of his description of the suite in Music Is My Mistress (181–82)." (Brent Hayes Edwards, "The Literary Ellington," p. 339)
b. Typed manuscript of the three movements of "Black, Brown, and Beige." 15 pages, with emendations in pencil in Ellington's hand on 4 pages. Paperclip rust marks and damp-staining throughout, mostly along upper and right edges, perfectly readable throughout.
c. Autograph notes in blue ink in Ellington's hand on the versos (and one page recto and transmissal envelope) of a 4-page typed correspondence from Doris Asbury, St. Paul Methodist Church, Jamaica, New York, regarding source information for the 1958 "Black, Brown, and Beige" album with Mahalia Jackson. Ellington has identified the notes on one page as "Spiritual Lyric for B+B+B / Lord Almighty Lord." Together with 2.5 additional pages of apparently related notes in ink in Ellington's hand on the verso of another letter and unrelated document. All in fine condition.
d. 1938 Typed "First Draft" for Ellington's "The Beggar's Opera." 30 page working manuscript typescript on thin paper, with emendations and annotations in pencil on 9 pages, including the title "Street Music" at the head of the first page. Horizontal fold through the manuscript, the first page heavily worn along the left edge but otherwise very good throughout. Beggar's Holiday is a musical with a book and lyrics by John La Touche and music by Duke Ellington. An updated version of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, the original Broadway production, directed by Nicholas Ray and choreographed by Valerie Bettis, opened on December 26, 1946 at The Broadway Theatre, where it ran for 111 performances.
PHOTOGRAPHS & EPHEMERA
a. Ellington's 1958 and 1961 Newport Jazz Festival performer badges, Al Celley's 1958 Newport Jazz Festival badge, three Capitol-Cardiff concert handbills, a small Monterey Jazz Festival advertising stand-up display and three Monterey concert photographs, an Art Nelson Presents Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra concert ticket
b. Ellington signed 1959 Hotel Frankfurter Hof guest service receipt and twelve Ellington photographs including one of Duke in the bathtub, some publicity portraits by Kriegsmann and Kauffman, including some duplicates. Mostly 8 x 10 inches, all in fine condition.
c. Ellington's 1964 New York Musician Union Card and 1953 American Federation of Musicians Local Book, with a related Union check.
d. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra Arabic Concert Poster. c. 1960, 35 1/4 x 23 3/4 in. (6675)
Manuscript Music Jazz