Pioneers–Ellington, East St Louis toodle-oo, 1926, Bubber Miley

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We have neglected a band and a band leader for too long, and we are going to correct that oversight today. Duke Ellington started out with His Kentucky Club Orchestra and made some wonderful Brunswick recordings in 1926 and 1927.

He had a very versatile, talented and innovative composer/trumpet player named James Wesley “Bubber” Miley. Bubber Miley started a trumpet tradition called the “growl and plunger” sound, using a very simple rubber plunger off the hardware store wood and rubber plunger.

Here is his composition called “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” from 1926.