Mercer Ellington discusses his touring schedule.

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Mercer Ellington discusses life on the road.

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Mercer Ellington discusses the band's playlist.

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Q: “The music the band is playing now, what’s the attitude? Are you adding much new material to the book?”

A: “Well, we are. But I would say he uses 75 to 80 per cent of what we play is authentically Duke Ellington. And we try to play it in that fashion. The soloist with their styles and manner of playing is individual, which is what he always allowed anyhow. For instance, when Ray Nance took Cootie Williams' place, he was asked to come in and play growl trumpet. But Ray Nance did not convert his entire style nor emulate the exact notes as Cootie played it. And it turned out that he was as individual in his sound as Cootie was.”