With Geoffrey Smith. Throughout the thirties and early forties, the Duke
Ellington band reached a spectacular peak of excellence, thanks to star players like Johnny Hodges , Cootie Williams, Jimmy Bianton and Ben Webster. Ellington composed such three-minute masterpieces as Ko-Ko, Concert for Cootie and Main Stem, and his extended works included
Reminiscing in Tempo to Black, Brown and Beige, which was premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1943.