Duke Ellington's Band at Carleton

I found the negatives to these pictures in my dad's collection, labeled  Duke Ellington's Band at Carleton College, November 5, 1957.    This was about the time dad started working as the alumni director for Carleton, although he might have still been working for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.   Dad was a great big band fan and a musician himself, playing clarinet and piano in dance bands when younger.

The concert was in the Carleton Chapel.   I checked with people who know about this band who identified individual band members.   Johnny Hodges, a terrific jazz saxophonist, is playing here.

This is Duke Ellington at the keyboard.

Jimmy Nottingham plays clarinet.

Ellington faces the band.  It was a bit disconcerting - he kept changing suit coats.   There are photos with him in three different coats.

Ray Nance sings - I like the jutting suite coat.

This is a Johnny Hodges solo.

Big bands were theoretically in decline in the late 1950s but the size of the crowd - the chapel was packed - suggested Ellington's band was doing just fine.  I may have gone to this concert but if so, I don't remember it.    I certainly would appreciate it more now.