| First Time! The Count Meets the Duke | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Duke Ellington and Count Basie |
| Cover: | First Time! The Count Meets the Duke.jpg |
| Released: | 1961 |
| Recorded: | July 6, 1961 |
| Studio: | Columbia 30th Street, New York City |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Length: | 40:58 (original release) 73:43 (1999 expanded and remastered edition) |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Teo Macero |
| Chronology: | Duke Ellington |
| Prev Title: | Paris Blues |
| Prev Year: | 1961 |
| Next Title: | The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite |
| Next Year: | 1961 |
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke is an album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961.[1]
On stereo releases of the album, Basie's band is featured on the left channel and Ellington's on the right.
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars calling it "a very successful and surprisingly uncrowded encounter. On most selections Ellington and Basie both play piano (their interaction with each other is wonderful) and the arrangements allowed the stars from both bands to take turns soloing".[2]
All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated