By the mid-1950s Duke Ellington’s orchestra was one of the few big bands still operating. Most of the others had disappeared due to the financial considerations of keeping a large ensemble working at a time when musical tastes were changing radically. The two best-selling records of 1956 were by Elvis Presley. Despite that dire situation for big band jazz, producer George Wein invited Duke and his group to be the closing act for that year’s Newport Jazz Festival. Ellington accepted and the resulting performance has become one of the most legendary in the history of jazz. It resulted in an album called Ellington at Newport and it all took place on this date 68 years ago.

The best remembered part of the performance was the ensemble’s rendition of Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, composed by Ellington 18 years earlier. Duke told saxophonist Paul Gonsalves to “blow as long as he felt like blowing” when his solo spot came. Gonsalves complied, producing an epic 27 chorus improvisation that was both exciting and intense, and eventually exhausting for the tenor man. His playing also inspired a female audience member to dance which, along with Gonsalves’ solo helped to whip the crowd into a frenzy. The band played six encores before festival organizers demanded that Ellington end the performance.

Here is a link to Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue as recorded on that July evening in 1956:

"DIMINUEDNDO AND CRESCENDO IN BLUE"