Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Includes two bonus tracks. Although they had known each other since their youth, and on many occasions featured on the same concert bills, Duke Ellington and Count Basie never crossed paths in a recording studio before or after the 1961 session presented here – the now legendary, ‘Battle Royal’. Despite the much-spoken rivalry between them, Ellington and Basie were close friends and great admirers of each other’s work. Their bands had different styles, both clearly recognizable, and the incredible musicians who played in them were half of the success of both bands, which over the years included such outstanding players as Ben Webster, Lester Young, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Jimmy Blanton, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Rushing, Jo Jones, Thad Jones and Harry Carney, to name just a few.