In keeping with the themes of the film, "Duke Ellington Live at Newport", the record over which Irving and Sydney first bond, was largely a fake live album. More than half of the original LP had been re-recorded in the studio, as record producer George Avakian wasn't happy with the live recordings from the Newport Jazz Festival. This didn't become public knowledge until 1996, and the full live performance was finally released in 1999. Ellington hated the idea of doctoring his Newport live recordings, walked out on one of the sessions where the studio inserts were recorded, and refused to work with Avakian again.