Alvin Ailey conceived Been Here And Gone as an enhanced version of Blues Suite for the Southeast Asia Tour in 1962. A small combo (Bruce Langhorne, on Guitar, Shep Shepherd, percussionist, Harry Prather, bassist, played onstage with Brother John Sellers and Ella Thompson singing.  A U.S. performance took place on September 9 and 10, 1962 at the Dance Festival presented by the N.Y. Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.