Tommy Flanagan discusses his time with the Duke Ellington Orchestra

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Tommy Flanagan discusses his early days in music

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Tommy Flanagan discusses live versus studio recording

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Q: “You were an accomplished and experienced musician before you ever joined up with [Duke] Ellington but I think it is Ellington that most people link you with now because that’s what brought you to the wider audience, wasn’t it – joining that orchestra?”

A: Tommy Flanagan: “Right, when I played with Duke Ellington ... well, you know, you traveled all over the world and I made records. But prior to that, the records that I made in Chicago with the blues, you know, that's Chess records. They're being reissued now. You know, old records with Willie Maybon and Otis Rush.”

Interviewer: “Those were the things that you were a side man on originally?”

Tommy Flanagan: “Right, right, right. I used to make quite a few blues records in Chicago. So everyone was talking about them. They're asking about when you played the blues. But being with Duke, it was about the main thing.”