As the credit for Duke Ellington and his Orchestra slowly blinks back and forth, it dissolves to the marquee with the name still standing. Then we go right to the performance with the band playing one composition before going into "Stormy Weather" with featured singer Ivie Anderson, then one more jazz instrumental with a couple of female dancers before it's called a reel...This was another musical short compiled for the DVD collection "Hollywood Rhythm Vol. 1: The Best of Jazz and Blues". Since there's no contrived plot to mess things up, this was quite a find indeed. What there is here are some unusual wipes like during the "Stormy Weather" number when Ivie is transposed from the stage to a house inside as she watches rain through a window which wipes through other areas with storms brewing. Some of the wipes during the instrumentals are shaped like musical notes. So on that note, A Bundle of Blues is essential for anyone interested in everything Ellington.
