I’m still ashamed. The Duke Ellington Orchestra played Jazz Alley years ago, and I yelled out, “‘Harlem Airshaft!’” Rude, yes. But someone on the bandstand said, “‘Harlem Airshaft,’ okay!” and the band went right into “Harlem Airshaft.” No pause. No rustling of sheet music. The band knew “Harlem Airshaft” down cold, from memory. And that’s the legacy of Duke Ellington, who used to tell his players what key a tune would be in about two seconds before giving the down beat. For the record, “Harlem Airshaft” was a slice of life, from a band and a man devoted to doling out whole pies of such stuff. by Andrew Hamlin