EP. 02: The Ellington Milestone: 125

   Ellington Orchestra alumnus Brad Shigeta, and Ellington Orchestra member James Zollar are two friends who have known each other 30 plus years.  They are here talking with me about their experiences in New York, elder musicians who took them under the proverbial wing, and of course, their time with Ellington's orchestra when it was under the direction of Mercer Ellington. We talk about older Ellington band members that Duke had personally hired, and their friendships with them; and what kind of an impact working in the orchestra had on them, as well as their reminiscences of Mercer managing what was his father's legacy: that band itself. 

Despite what some have said, this music is far from dead.