In September of 1923 Elmer Snowden‘s Washington Black Sox Orchestra landed a six month gig at the Hollywood Club in Manhattan. After about three months the name of the group was shortened to the Washingtonians and because of a disagreement over money, banjoist Snowden was forced out of the band and Duke Ellington was elected as the new leader.
Ellington and the band continued to play at the club until January of 1925 when the place was closed for repairs. Trumpeter Bubber Miley was the main attraction in the group and gave it its unique sound, with his use of the plunger mute. The style which featured Miley’s growling, drunken, wah-wah trumpet playing was called the “jungle sound”.
Ellington’s early theme song East St. Louis Toodle-Oo is a good example of this style of playing. When the Hollywood Club reopened in the spring of 1925 it was renamed the Kentucky Club. The band then became known as Duke Ellington and his Kentucky Club Orchestra although they also continued to record as the Washingtonians up until 1929.
| Title | Recording Date | Recording Location | Company |
| Animal Crackers (H. Link / S. Coslow / Rich) | 7-21-1926 | New York, New York | Champion 15118 |
| Black And Tan Fantasy (Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley) | 4-7-1927 | New York, New York | Brunswick 3526 |
| Black Beauty (Fire Water) (Duke Ellington) | 3-21-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick |
| Black Beauty (Fire Water) (2) (Duke Ellington) | 3-21-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4009 |
| Bugle Call Rag (Jack Pettris / Elmer Schoebel / Billy Meyers) | 1-9-1928 | New York, New York | Harmony 577-H Diva 2577-G |
| Choo Choo (Gotta Hurry Home) (Duke Ellington / R. Shafer / Dave Ringle) | 11-1924 | New York, New York | Blu-Disc 1002 |
| Doin’ The Voom Voom (Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley) | 9-10-1929 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Down In Our Alley Blues (Duke Ellington / Otto Hardwick) | 3-22-1927 | New York, New York | Columbia 1076-D |
| East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley) | 3-22-1927 | New York, New York | Columbia 953-D |
| East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect |
| East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (Duke Ellington / Bubber Miley) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Flaming Youth (Duke Ellington) | 9-10-1929 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Georgia Grind (Spencer Williams) | 3-1926 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect 104 A |
| Hot And Bothered (Duke Ellington) | 10-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Cameo |
| Hop Head (Duke Ellington / Otto Hardwick) | 3-22-1927 | New York, New York | Columbia 953-D |
| If You Can’t Hold The Man You Love (S. Fain / I. Kahal) | 4-1-1926 | New York, New York | Gennett |
| I’m Gonna Hang Around My Sugar (Spencer Williams / Jack Palmer) | 9-7-1925 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect |
| Jubilee Stomp (Duke Ellington) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect |
| Jubilee Stomp (Duke Ellington) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Jubilee Stomp (Duke Ellington) | 3-21-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4044 |
| Li’L Farina (Mier / Smith) | 7-21-1926 | New York, New York | Champion 15120 |
| Move Over (Duke Ellington) | 10-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Cameo |
| Parlor Social Stomp (Duke Ellington) | 3-1926 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect 104 B |
| Rainy Nights (Rainy Days) (Duke Ellington / Jo Trent / Lopez) | 11-1924 | New York, New York | Blu-Disc 1002 |
| Saturday Night Function (Duke Ellington / Barney Bigard) | 9-10-1929 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Saratoga Swing (Barney Bigard) | 3-15-1929 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Soliloquy (Rube Bloom) | 4-30-1927 | New York, New York | Brunswick 3526 |
| Stack O’Lee Blues (Ray Lopez / L. Colwell) | 1-9-1928 | New York, New York | Harmony 601-H |
| Sweet Mama (Papa’s Gettin’ Mad) | 1-9-1928 | New York, New York | Harmony 577-H Diva 2577-G |
| Take It Easy (Duke Ellington) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect |
| Take It Easy (Duke Ellington) | 3-1928 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Take It Easy (Duke Ellington) | 3-21-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick 4009 |
| The Mooche (Duke Ellington / Irving Mills) | 10-1928 | New York, New York | Pathé |
| The Mooche (Duke Ellington / Irving Mills) | 10-1928 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Tishomingo Blues (Spencer Williams) | 6-25-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick |
| Trombone Blues (H. Williams / T. Nixon) | 9-7-1925 | New York, New York | Pathé Actuelle Perfect |
| Wanna Go Back Again Blues (Lou Handman / Roy Turk) | 4-1-1926 | New York, New York | Gennett |
| Who Said “It’s Tight Like That”? | 3-15-1929 | New York, New York | Cameo |
| Yellow Dog Blues (W.C. Handy) | 6-25-1928 | New York, New York | Brunswick |
| Artist | Instrument |
| Barney Bigard | Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone |
| Wellman Braud | Bass |
| Rube Bloom | Arranger |
| Harry Cooper | Trumpet |
| June Clark | Trumpet |
| Pike Davis | Trumpet |
| Bass Edwards | Tuba |
| Duke Ellington | Piano |
| Sonny Greer | Drums |
| Fred Guy | Banjo |
| Charlie Irvis | Trombone |
| Otto Hardwick | Clarinet, Soprano, Alto, and Baritone Saxophone |
| Johnny Hodges | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Louis Metcalf | Trumpet |
| Bubber Miley | Cornet, Trumpet |
| Joe Nanton | Trombone |
| Don Redman | Clarinet, Alto Saxophone |
| Prince Robinson | Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone |
| Roy Rutledge | Trumpet |
| Billy Taylor | Tuba |
| Arthur Whetsel | Trumpet |
| Cootie Williams | Trumpet, Vocals |
