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Song

What Am I Here For

First released 1944Instrumental94 recordingson 173 releasesISWC T-070.198.380-3, T-903.276.273-5

Written by

Duke EllingtonComposer

Recordings

PerformanceBy
What Am I Here For? (instrumental)Scott Hamilton5:09
What Am I Here For?Dave Frishberg4:09
What Am I Here ForNiels‐Henning Ørsted Pedersen & Mulgrew Miller4:19
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:27
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:27
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:33
What Am I Here For?Clifford Brown & Max Roach3:09
What Am I Here ForCount Basie & His Orchestra3:24
What Am I Here For?Ben Webster3:30
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:31
What Am I Here For?Nnenna Freelon6:32
What Am I Here For? (alternate take)Count Basie & His Orchestra4:13
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:27
What Am I Here For?Lambert, Hendricks & Ross3:01
What Am I Here For?David “Fathead” Newman4:50
What Am I Here ForAndré Previn with Joe Pass & Ray Brown6:12
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:28
What Am I Here For?Ella Fitzgerald2:45
What Am I Here For?Billy Higgins, Ray Drummond & Hank Jones8:26
What Am I Here For?Count Basie3:21
What Am I Here ForEd Bickert8:20
What Am I Here ForJohnny Mathis4:23
What Am I Here For?Kenny Burrell & Grover Washington, Jr.4:46
What Am I Here For?Count Basie4:43
What Am I Here ForClifford Brown & Max Roach3:10
What Am I Here ForElla Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington5:30
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:27
What Am I Here For? (alternate take)Count Basie and His Orchestra4:07
What Am I Here For?Count Basie and His Orchestra3:22
What Am I Here ForJay McShann & John Hicks7:51
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:24
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:34
What Am I Here For?Sarah Vaughan3:33
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra4:08
What Am I Here For?Milt Jackson6:20
What Am I Here For?Art Farmer6:46
What I Am Here ForBarbara Hendricks & The Monty Alexander Trio4:15
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington & His Orchestra3:24
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington & His Orchestra3:11
What Am I Here ForDorothy Ashby2:22
What Am I Here For?Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell7:53
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:26
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington & His Orchestra3:27
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington & His Orchestra4:19
What Am I Here ForCount Basie3:21
What Am I Here For?Count Basie3:21
What Am I Here ForBen Webster3:28
What Am I Here ForWarren Vaché & Allan Vaché6:57
What Am I Here ForBen Webster3:59
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:25
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington4:05
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:26
What Am I Here ForDancing Mood3:44
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington3:30
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:26
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington4:40
What Am I Here For?Lena Horne3:17
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington
What Am I Here ForRob McConnell And SWR Big Band4:59
What am I here forDuke Ellington3:28
What Am I Here For?Cy Touff, Richie Kamuca4:22
What Am I Here ForSarah Vaughan3:35
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington3:35
What Am I Here ForHarold Ashby7:35
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington Orchestra4:07
What Am I Here ForRalph Sutton & Johnny Varro5:56
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington3:08
What Am I Here For?Stan Getz presents Jimmy Rowles4:58
What Am I Here For?Ben Webster with Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:26
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington3:25
What Am I Here For?Joe Van Enkhuizen, Horace Parlan4:24
What Am I Here ForPee Wee Russell and Coleman Hawkins7:46
What Am I Here ForDuke Ellington3:27
What Am I Here For?Sir Roland Hanna, Davey Yarborough4:21
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington and His Orchestra3:30
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington and His Orchestra3:26
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:39
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington
What am I Here ForPee Wee Russell & Coleman Hawkins7:52
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington3:28
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington3:27
What Am I Here For?The Clifford Brown–Max Roach Quintet13:04
What Am I Here For?Count Basie & His Orchestra3:20
What Am I Here For?Ella Fitzgerald5:36
What Am I Here For?Chris Hopkins Meets The Jazz Kangaroos5:30
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington & His Orchestra3:24
What Am I Here ForThe Oscar Peterson Trio5:34
What Am I Here ForCount Basie3:24
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
What Am I Here For?Count Basie3:22
What Am I Here ForElla Fitzgerald2:44

On these albums

I Don't Mind / What Am I Here For?
I Don't Mind / What Am I Here For?Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra · 1944
What Am I Here For? / Sentimental Lady
What Am I Here For? / Sentimental LadyDuke Ellington and His Orchestra · 1948
Clifford Brown and Max Roach
Clifford Brown and Max RoachClifford Brown & Max Roach · 1955
In a Mellotone
In a MellotoneDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1956
April in Paris
April in ParisCount Basie & His Orchestra · 1956
Sing Ellington
Sing EllingtonLambert, Hendricks & Ross · 1960
Jazz Reunion
Jazz ReunionColeman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell · 1961
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke
First Time! The Count Meets the DukeDuke Ellington and Count Basie · 1961
Piano in the Background
Piano in the BackgroundDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1961
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy AshbyDorothy Ashby · 1965
Ella at Duke’s Place
Ella at Duke’s PlaceElla Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington · 1966
In Tokyo (Live at the Palace Hotel)
In Tokyo (Live at the Palace Hotel)The Oscar Peterson Trio · 1977
Concord Jazz: A Tribute to Duke
Concord Jazz: A Tribute to DukeVarious Artists · 1977
Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2
Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2Sarah Vaughan · 1980
Ain't but a Few of Us Left
Ain't but a Few of Us LeftMilt Jackson · 1982
Jungle Triangle
Jungle TriangleDuke Ellington · 1983
The Indispensable Duke Ellington Volumes 7/8 (1941-1942)
The Indispensable Duke Ellington Volumes 7/8 (1941-1942)Duke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1984
Togethering
TogetheringKenny Burrell & Grover Washington, Jr. · 1985
The Blanton-Webster Band
The Blanton-Webster BandDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1986
Can't Take You Nowhere
Can't Take You NowhereDave Frishberg · 1987
The Feeling of Jazz
The Feeling of JazzDuke Ellington · 1988
Duke Ellington
Duke EllingtonDuke Ellington · 1988
After Hours
After HoursAndré Previn with Joe Pass & Ray Brown · 1989
Brownie: The Complete EmArcy Recordings of Clifford Brown
Brownie: The Complete EmArcy Recordings of Clifford BrownClifford Brown · 1989
Greatest Hits
Greatest HitsDuke Ellington · 1989
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1941–1951
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1941–1951Duke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1990
Ellington Ballads
Ellington BalladsJoe Van Enkhuizen, Horace Parlan · 1990
On the Road
On the RoadArt Farmer · 1990
In a Sentimental Mood: Mathis Sings Ellington
In a Sentimental Mood: Mathis Sings EllingtonJohnny Mathis · 1990
1944-1956
1944-1956Count Basie · 1991
The Essence
The EssenceBilly Higgins / Ray Drummond / Hank Jones · 1991
The Verve Years
The Verve YearsBen Webster · 1992
A Jazz Hour With Duke Ellington Vol.2 Jump For Joy
A Jazz Hour With Duke Ellington Vol.2 Jump For JoyDuke Ellington · 1992
What Am I Here For
What Am I Here ForHarold Ashby · 1992
The Missouri Connection
The Missouri ConnectionJay McShann & John Hicks · 1993
The Essential Recordings
The Essential RecordingsDuke Ellington · 1993
Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson
Ella Swings Brightly With NelsonElla Fitzgerald · 1993
The Original Jazz Masters Series, Volume 2
The Original Jazz Masters Series, Volume 2Various Artists · 1993
The Peacocks
The PeacocksStan Getz presents Jimmy Rowles · 1994
Duke Ellington / Count Basie
Duke Ellington / Count BasieDuke Ellington, Count Basie · 1994
Mr. Gentle Mr. Cool
Mr. Gentle Mr. CoolDavid “Fathead” Newman · 1994
Tribute to Duke Ellington
Tribute to Duke EllingtonBarbara Hendricks & Monty Alexander Trio · 1995
The Hottest New Group in Jazz
The Hottest New Group in JazzLambert, Hendricks & Ross · 1996
I Got It Bad
I Got It BadDuke Ellington · 1996
The Chronological Classics: Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1942-1944
The Chronological Classics: Duke Ellington and His Orchestra 1942-1944Duke Ellington and His Orchestra · 1996
The Guitar Mastery of Ed Bickert
The Guitar Mastery of Ed BickertEd Bickert · 1996
Duke Ellington Songbook
Duke Ellington SongbookVarious Artists · 1997
Cotton Tail
Cotton TailBen Webster · 1997
Verve Master Edition
Verve Master EditionVarious Artists · 1997
Verve New Releases June 1997
Verve New Releases June 1997Various Artists · 1997
A Portrait of Duke Ellington
A Portrait of Duke EllingtonDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1997
Sir Duke
Sir DukeDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1998
His Octet & Quintet
His Octet & QuintetCyril Touff · 1998
Being Myself
Being MyselfLena Horne · 1998
1931–1946
1931–1946Ben Webster · 1998
The Duets
The DuetsNiels‐Henning Ørsted Pedersen & Mulgrew Miller · 1999
The Duke
The DukeDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1999
The Duets
The DuetsDuke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1999
The Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings: 1927-1973
The Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings: 1927-1973Duke Ellington & His Orchestra · 1999
Cadillac Slim
Cadillac SlimBen Webster · 2000

Source: MusicBrainz work 7e068f7a-94b9-322a-8a96-3dba21ded176 (CC0).