Playing a solo jazz piano arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood”

Well, our journey through the real book has given us a precious gift this week – Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood.”

This beautiful jazz ballad was one of the first jazz ballads I ever played, and it brings back many fond memories for me. The song was a a regular feature during the many performances I did with a vocal jazz group I played in during my college days, and we sometimes performed it for crowds of up to 25,000 listeners when we opened for famous jazz musicians like Dave Brubeck and Lionel Hampton at outdoor festivals.

“In A Sentimental Mood” has touched the hearts of millions of musicians and listeners over the decades, all the way back to the 1930s when Ellington composed it, and via his evocative recording with none other than John Coltrane.

The more we immerse ourselves in the world of Duke Ellington, the more we benefit fro the experience, and on this video we go into the tune’s origins as a Swing Era dance ballad, how Ellington used “open” chord voicing to create impressionistic musical textures, text painting in musical and much more.

Let’s follow in the footsteps of great jazz masters such as Thelonious Monk, Gil Evans, and Randy Weston as we dive deep into the world of Duke Ellington:

In A Sentimental Mood: Journey Through The Real Book #177

I hope you have a wonderful week and as always, enjoy the journey and “let the music flow!”

Ron

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