From Apr. 7, 1945 through Nov. 1945 and again from Apr-Oct. 1946, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra appeared on a weekly series of 55-minute programs sponsored by the United States Treasury Department. In addition to the performances, most of the programs had Ellington giving three promos for U.S. Savings Bonds.
Since World War II was still quite active in the Pacific until Sept. 1945, the earlier programs are filled with Duke urging the audience to give money so as to win the war. The later promos are about the wisdom of saving for the future and the importance of buying savings bonds.
While the promos are skippable, the music is timeless. These well-recorded broadcasts first appeared complete and in chronological order in the 1980s on over 40 LPs put out by the Merritt Record Society. After a couple of decades of being out-of-print or only available in piecemeal fashion, they are being reissued as a series of two-CD sets by the Storyville label.
Each twofer, in addition to two complete broadcasts, includes other live material from 1942-54 (mostly from the 1940s) taken from radio broadcasts, some of which was previously unreleased, along with lengthy and excellent liner notes. When it is completed, the series will be comprised of 26 or 27 twofers.
Recently Vols. 21 and 22 were released, mostly featuring the 1946 edition of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. While that particula
