It's Duke Ellington's 100th anniversary, and here he is at Pottery Barn, sitting on the counter. Pottery Barn, like many other retail chains these days, is selling a variety of CD collections showcasing the kind of music it would like you to associate with spending. One of its offerings is PB Swing, featuring songs by '90s swing acts with one-hit-wonderish names like the Flying Neutrinos. But there's also one track, Take the "A" Train, by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. One wonders if the differences--and connections--between Duke and the new crop aren't lost in a blur of consumerism and retro-hipness.
In any...
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