Duke Ellington

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For those tempted to dabble with earler Ellington here's a Proper box set called "Materpieces 1926-49". It's a great starting point for that era and a stunning bargain - 4 full length cds, £13.99 from Amazon UK ($21.99 from Amazon in US).

It's astonishing to hear how the band lifts off after Jimmy Blanton joins. He was only 20 and he reinvented jazz bass. One of the great overlooked geniuses of the century.

― ArfArf, Wednesday, 4 June 2003 16:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

And His Mother Called Him Bill is lovely. Especially that "Lotus Blossom" cut.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 17:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

Ben nails it.
for the early stuff the Blanton-Webster bands is usually considered the killah.
for the 50's i like Uptown.

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 21:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

Great stuff from all decades, but my favorite is 1940-42: Look for The Blanton-Webster Band, The Great Ellington Units, and The Duke at Fargo.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 22:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, 'And His Mother Called Him Bill' and 'Far East Suite' are the late Ellingtons I like best - 'Blood Count' on the former is motherfuckingly weepingly beautiful. I sort've agree w/ Ben W abt 'Money Jungle' being just a bit overrated, but on the opening track the Duke sounds like Cecil Taylor! That's the thing abt Ellington that grabs me - how MODERN he always sounds, whatever the era/context - see also his duo alb w/ Coltrane (esp. on the wonderful opening cut of 'In A Sentimental Mood').

Also agreed abt the Proper box being terrific value.

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 22:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

money jungle is the only one i own, and it always seemed a bit opaque to me (maybe relating to ben's "jamming" comment).

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

by that i mean there are plenty of good bits and bobs in there - basslines, melodies, drum parts - that stand out on listening but i couldn't hum any of it for you right now.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

and of course being able to hum it isn't a requirement for merit in this newfangled jazz music - i can't exactly hum cecil taylor either - but for some reason it seems important here.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

they do a version of caravan don't they? and i still can't remember how it sounds there: i think i know what you mean jess.

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

Eh, I dunno. I always though Money Jungle was a lot more focused and tuneful than most of the stuff coming out around then. Solitude is a nice litte tune.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

i will admit here that my tolerance for jazz has been markedly decreasing over the last couple years, so i'm willing to accept that it might me a "it's not you, it's me" thing. (i'm not a patient fellow, anyway.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

It sounds like Caravan! You can't really forget that tune. But they don't do anything wild with it.

To me Money Jungle is having nice coffee and pastry in the morning music. It's got atmosphere and it sounds good, but they're not splitting the atom or anything. I think Mingus is the best thing on it, he's rolling along.

Blood Clot really is amazing. It billows and hangs in the air. That's my favorite Ellington album I think.

― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

no i can't forget the tune, but from elsewhere. i just can't remember the *ahem* arrangement.

blood clot? tell me more...

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

(It's on And His Mother Called Him Bill)

― Ben Williams, Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

o yeah. i thought you meant there was an album called that.

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 4 June 2003 23:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

Newport 1956 Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue. It's such a cliche, but that track really is fantastic. The rest of the concert's good too. I also like the Ellington/Hawkins album. Basically, you can't go wrong with Ellington - he always employed top-flight musicians even when he couldn't really afford them. The "Anatomy of a Murder" album is a bit scrappy, but that's film soundtracks for you.

Stuart Nicholson's Reminiscing in Tempo is a good book - a mainly oral history of Ellington.

― Andrew Norman, Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think Money Jungle sounds pretty dangerous. Not in the sense that they're taking it WAY OUT or anything, but the personalities involved. Apparently both were pretty intimidated playing with Ellington (especially Mingus, didn't he walk out for a bit in the middle of the session with self-esteem issues?), it sounds like a mix of nervous energy and wanting to really make their own statements (some would call it overplaying, I love it). Mingus is playing so ahead sometimes it sounds like everything might fall over. It sounds like Ellington is having a good time trying to fit in though.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

I don't think anyone's mentioned that 24-CD (!!) RCA Victor boxed set - no, I don't have it, but I have the 3-CD overview (link below), which is excellent (and it pretty much spans his entire career, 1927-1973). A version of "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me" would've been a welcome inclusion (as that's one of my favorites), but Ella's take hits the spot for me. Ya know, "Caravan" has been covered by freakin' everyone, but my favorite version is Ellington's own (included on the 3-CD set) - it's utterly eerie and amazing.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=11:27:40|AM&sql=Atyb8b5f49sqh

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

I treasure Money Jungle if only for its tender version of "Warm Valley," which a better writer than me once described as the Duke's "vulvic ode."

And as much as I love the version of "Blood Count" on And His Mother . . ., when I hear the tune in my head I hear Andy Bey's version (with lyrics) on his amazing Shades of Bey album.

After rereading the initial question, I must ad another vote for the Blanton-Webster set. If you don't fall in love with at least some of this music, I question what it is you like music for.

While I love the later album/suite oriented era, I think his earlier swing-era and pre-swing material sometimes gets short shrift because people assume they know it because they know "Take the A Train" and "Satin Doll." Plus there are about a kabillion different Ellington collections from his earlier days, so it's hard to know how to tackle it.

RCA owns a lot of great early Ellington; if you see any single discs on their Bluebird imprint from Ellington's early career in a used bin, grab 'em (not least cause they're out of print). As much as I like prime and late Ellington, my life would be poorer without "The Mooche," "The Dicty Glide," the earliest "Mood Indigo," and countless more.

Also, there are two great two-disc sets titled something like The Duke's Men, which feature mid-period small-group recordings. Lotta great stuff on there.

― Lee G (Lee G), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

Early Ellington: search what you can get in the 1927-1929 years. This is my favorite time period for early Ellington, the "Jungle Band". There's a big box set: 1924-1930, or individual volumes 1927-1928, 1928-1929, and many various re-packagings. If nothing else, search for something that contains "East St.Louis Toodle-Oo"

Later Ellington: search the "Queen's Suite", which contains the lovely piece, "Single Petal of a Rose". It's on a CD called "The Ellington Suites" on OJC

― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Best of Early Ellington, a single disc on Decca, is a terrific summary of the pre-Blanton years

vote three for The Blanton-Webster Years; I've been advised by people who know to avoid the new repackage of the same material in a cardboard case: "they fucked up the remaster" was his objection.

I really love The Far East Suite, it's the only thing I know from way later, obv I need to explore more

and I was beaten to recommending the Proper box, so I'll second that

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 5 June 2003 16:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

Jess, try Far East--seems like more your thing. Toop could easily have included parts of it on Ocean of Sound.

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 5 June 2003 16:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

I would like to just say this is a wondeful thread :-)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

Wow, that Proper box looks great. I'll third the recommendation as I've got a lot of the same material in different form. I would happily re-buy it (and at this price) to have it on CD.

― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

'nother vote for "Far East Suite"

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have more book suggestions having scanned the shelves last night. David Hadju's bio of Billy Strayhorn, Lush Life, is a great book in its own right, but it's very illuminating on Ellington. For even more illumination, Don George's Sweet Man is an amusing read if you can find a copy. George wrote the lyrics for some of Duke's tunes, most notably "I'm Beginning to See the Light." (Interesting trivia: an instrumental version of the tune is playing on the radio in the kitchen during the "Oracle" scene in the first Matrix movie.) Anyway, it's a personal memoir of Ellington, which in this case means detailed reminiscences about Duke's insatiable appetite for women, steaks, and the color powder blue, among other things.

― Lee G (Lee G), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

also find, if you can, Ralph Gleason's long tribute/obit from Rolling Stone. the classic quote, from memory, on junkie musicians: "I never did understand that. I'm a cunt man myself."

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

I'm a little surprised by the high regard in which the Far East Suite is commonly held. I could only get myself to listen to it a couple times. Most of the time when I don't like a remotely canonical jazz recording, I can still sort of understand why it would be considered good. Kind of Blue and Point of Departure, for instance, both turn me off in large part because of my emotional reaction to them, and something about the tone colors used (more in the second case). But the Far East Suite sounded really kind of third rate to me. I'm sorry now that I didn't hang on to my library copy long enough to listen a few times, so I could say more now. Part of it may simply be that because of my heavy Arabic music listening, I am critical of the particular way Arabic elements are used here. (I know it says far east, but according to what I've read, it actually has more to do with Arabic music than with Indian. That's also what I hear.) Also the mixture of certain old school big band sounds, sounds that don't necessarily have to be use just because one is working with a big band, undermines the project for me.

― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 13:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Blanton-Webster Years; I've been advised by people who know to avoid the new repackage of the same material in a cardboard case: "they fucked up the remaster" was his objection

I don't know - I have this and the remaster sounds fine to me, as good as you could expect for this period. I'm pretty sure that this is the same remaster that's in the Centennial edition.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 14:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

(The packaging on the other hand leaves something to be desired. The little cardboard sleeves don't really hold the CDs in place. I wish they'd just used standard jewel cases.)

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 14:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I borrowed Money Jungle from the library, and I like it okay. I like "Caravan" a lot, or at least the begin. And I like "Money Jungle." It's still probably not something I would buy, but I don't think it's an album that needs any apologies.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 21:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Somehow, all of my dad's old 45s were stolen except the ones I borrowed, and fortunately, one of those was "The Mooch." It's still my favorite Duke Ellington song, a world within a song, really...

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 03:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

Harlem Air Shaft or Ko Ko would be my faves, both on the Blanton-Webster Band comp

― mentalist (mentalist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 04:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

"jump for joy" is probably the most astonishingly perfect record i know. everything is in place; it's constantly infectious and exciting; it sounds so fresh; and the lyrics are a total hoot. superlatives actually demean this record, so i'll stop.

"chocolate shake" is v. close.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

the way "jump for joy" ends is... oh my lord.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

anyway, for those of you scared of jazz, these are pop records.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Has anyone heard Sir Duke, performances of his pieces by Bill Ware (vibes) and Marc Ribot (gtr)? I think it's really beautiful but I haven't heard that much 'real' DE.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

I absolutely love Money Jungle, I don't get the "jamming" comment. To me it sounded like they were at each other's throats. And yeah "Solitude" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever herad.

As for Far East Suite...it's absolutely beautiful. Can't think of anything else to say.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

anyway, for those of you scared of jazz, these are pop records.

Indeed. They are catchy and fill o hooks. With early to mid Ellington, due to recording technology, most songs were only around 3 minutes long. The classic Ellington / Strayhorn number Take The A Train packs a whole musical narrative in less than 3 minutes and has a great fadeout ending.

― mentalist (mentalist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 11:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

I am listening to Jungle Nights in Harlem and you should too.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

I really love Far East Suite
and the shite with Coleman Hawkins.

If you don't like it, you're racist.

― our work is never over, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

underrated record is 'side by side' w/ johnny hodges
sweets edison KILLS IT on trumpet

― deej, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

Must look into that then!
I love those underrated ones.

― our work is never over, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

Jubilee Stomp is an acceptable substitute if Jungle Nights in Harlem is not available.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

Damnit hes prolific.
I havn't heard any of this.

― our work is never over, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

Jungle Nights and Jubilee Stomp are early stuff. On Bluebird, nice and cheap and very hard swinging and excellent.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 04:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

I am really enjoying The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse, one of Ellington's last albums. I know it's supposed to be African-influenced -- and it is -- but it sounds even more rock-influenced, to me. Dark, thumping and rhythmic. Very unlike what I expect of Ellington (OTOH, I'm not all that familiar with his bread-and-butter big band work). Anyway, great disc. (n.1).

-------------
(n.1) I did cringe at the corny spoken-word opening of the album, tho. Minor quibble, I guess.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 5 August 2008 10:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

haha, i LOVE that spoken word intro.
as has been noted in this thread, there's a ton of later period (60s-70s) Ellington that is amazingly good. One I didn't see mentioned is the piano/bass album with Ray Brown called This One's For Blanton. Sort of an album length sequel to the duets Duke did with Blanton way back when. The New Orleans Suite (Hodges' last album, I think) has some great moments as well.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 13:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

I have this and the remaster sounds fine to me, as good as you could expect for this period

I've kind of changed my mind on this. I think they did kind of screw it up - though it's still listenable if you turn the treble down a couple of notches on your stereo.

― o. nate, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 16:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah, i think maybe the first disc of the B|W Band comp is kind of dodgy, esp. on headphones. I've got an old double LP with a lot of the same stuff and it sounds better to me, even on my crappy turntable. That said, those recordings would be great recorded on a cell phone. goddam, some of it is unbelievably good.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 80 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yeah i'm still rolling through the private collection. so good! just ordered the "black brown and beige" box set, too. 1944-46 recordings, i think.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

That Ella Duke songbook record is great and definitely the jazziest of those songbooks. I'm hoping this recently unearthed Twelve Nights In Hollywood thing will give them a run for the money.

This thread doesn't seem to mention the great record he made with Rosemary Clooney, Blue Rose.

― What You Know Is POLLS!: The Orson Welles Poll (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 21:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

the spoken bits with strayhorn and ellington on the songbook set are great, too. so you've heard the 12 nights Ella set? i've been tempted by it, but don't reall have the cash at the moment.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 21:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh! i see it's much cheaper than it was originally on amazon ... hmm.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 21:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

I heard one song from it over the weekend. Hopefully will be hearing more soon.

― What You Know Is POLLS!: The Orson Welles Poll (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 22 February 2011 22:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

back to duke -- i also just got the duke ellington's america book from the library. so far so good! glad to have something big to read about him, i haven't been nuts about the other bios i've read.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 22:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Nice podcast interview with Geoffrey O'Brien about Ellington's later work.

― Brad C., Tuesday, 26 April 2011 17:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm about halfway through Ellington's America; so far, it's ridiculously informed/informative, and beyond essential.

― Funky Mustard (People It's Bad) (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, that book is great, i just read it last month. not heavy on the personal life stuff (which is maybe a good thing?) but just sort of a fascinating journey through duke's career, with all kinds of fantastic details. even though it sounds kinda dull, the info about his finances is really interesting. always thought that maybe duke was exaggerating when he said he lost money keeping his band on retainer all those years, but it looks like it was true. he just loved having a band always there to play his music.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

all the civil rights era chapters are great, too, as is his chapter on black brown and beige. really a wonderful book.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

What was shocking to me was how long his (financially) fallow period was. I assumed it was for maybe 3 or 4 years in the 50s; turns out it was nearly ten years. I suspect it's impossible to get too into his personal life, since he was so guarded; Mercer's autobiography goes more into it than any other Ellington book, but it mostly amounts to things anyone could have guessed (flying into a seething rage upon hearing of Strayhorn's death, for instance).

― Funky Mustard (People It's Bad) (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, in re: to finances, it's obvious he could've, at some point, just dissolved his band and just become a kind of freelance celebrity musician, and probably been a lot more successful in a business sense. have you ever read music is my mistress? i haven't and the descriptions in this new book don't make it sound very essential.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

One of my favorite parts of the book is describing how Ellington and Irving Mill quite consciously marketed him as a "genius" and a composer as much as a band leader and recording artist, which bought Duke the time and leeway to become a genius composer. They were incredibly clever about balancing showbiz concerns with high art, making the pressures complement each other, rather than being in opposition.

I listen to late Ellington more than the early Ellington at this point. That podcast hits upon a lot of my favorite tracks- Ocht O'Clock, Ad Lib in Nippon, Blood Count. I've never heard the ballet they mention.

― bendy, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah! i mean, obviously, duke had the talent to back up the "genius" claim, but it was fascinating how early him and mills were pushing that aspect.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

and i agree, the late ellington is what is really doing it for me these days. kind of want to put together a one-disc duke ellington in the 70s comp. don't have everything though!

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

It ("The River") is on The Private Collection, Vol. 5. It's brilliant and fascinating, and also contains the germ of what would later become "Portrait Of Mahalia Jackson" (from The New Orleans Suite), one of his most heartbreaking themes.

― Funky Mustard (People It's Bad) (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^^yeah, the river is amazing.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

anyone heard this one? live trio recorded in 72.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

True about how he could've otherwise dealt with his financial situation, but with his band as his instrument, he would have probably felt somewhat adrift and unfulfilled.

I've read MIMM, and it's kind of goofy and all over the place. It's not chronological, and one chapter is usually a non-sequitur to the previous chapter (i.e., Chapter 4: Louis Bellson was a great drummer! Chapter 5: I really enjoy a good steak!) I mean, it's a fun read, kind of like going to dinner with Duke and listening to him talk for about six hours. But it's not the least bit revealing, unless you count an exact account of every single restaurant meal he ever ate in his entire life.

― Funky Mustard (People It's Bad) (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

ha, well, that does sound kind of good. my library's got it, so i'll probably get around to it sometime soon.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 19:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Whitney gig is a lot of fun; he plays some of his earliest material (and laughs with the audience about him being unable to play it now). Reminds me of James Booker just hanging out and reeling off medleys.

In the Uncommon Market has more trio stuff which I love.

― Brakhage, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

wow, never even heard of that one. looks like a cool set, though. amazing how much ellington there is!

― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

It's not well known, but it's on iTunes and it's got a bunch of great live performances from the early sixties. The trio bits are recorded in this Italian garden, I think, so there's tons of crickets etc, which sounds awful but it's really magical.

― Brakhage, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

actually, I love all the room noise in his 60s recordings- he had a lot more open space in his work, and with recording fidelity improving there's cool little details. Like the guy going "dink-da-dink-dink" in between the call and response on "Limbo Jazz"

― bendy, Tuesday, 26 April 2011 20:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

eesh, didn't even know this was happening. mosaic, y u so expensive

The Definitive Songs. The Definitive Orchestra. And Now...
The DEFINITIVE Edition.
The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia, and Master Recordings of
Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra

After achieving youthful acclaim in Washington, and making a successful move to New York fronting (at first) small groups, Duke Ellington entered the 1930s with an expanded line-up and an increasingly creative approach to composing. Weekly radio broadcasts and swank guests in the audience spread the word; Hollywood noticed his marquee smile and musical brilliance; and the orchestra began touring extensively, including trips to Europe. His fame and popularity were on the rise.

But more importantly, Ellington entered the '30s having perfected his method of using the group to experiment with arranging and orchestrating. Ensconced at the Cotton Club in New York at the end of the previous decade, Ellington catered to a lot of musical interests and needs - he played for the dancers, and for the jazz lovers. He relied on ideas from his musicians, and wrote for them as individuals rather than as anonymous section players. With all that work and a line-up of marvelous, distinctive musical voices, Ellington began the most creative period of his life.

"Sophisticated Lady." "Stormy Weather." "Solitude." "In a Sentimental Mood." "Echoes of Harlem." "Caravan." All of them and many more are a part of "The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia, and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra," an unprecedented 11-CD set that compiles these recordings for the first, and quite possibly the last, time. There would be many more exceptional compositions in the years following, including his highly regarded suites and longer works, but the scope of our latest, lavish Mosaic collection is the period when Ellington would establish himself as the most important composer ever in jazz.

Musicians Created Their Own Voices, and Interpreted His

"Jazz, if it means anything, means freedom of expression," he told writer Stanley Dance. And express himself is what he did, through the instruments of stalwarts and newcomers to the orchestra who not only created personality for Ellington's band - they were, in many instances, standard bearers in their own right for their respective instruments.

Barney Bigard on clarinet and tenor saxophone established links to the past with his New Orleans-style runs, executed with exceptional warmth. Harry Carney was the only important soloist on baritone saxophone for years, and the big bottom his instrument provided brought real gravity to the Ellington sound. The great trumpeter Cootie Williams joined to replace the fallen Bubber Miley, quickly perfecting Miley's growl and mute techniques while creating his own sound with the open horn. He was a master of establishing mood and emotion. Lawrence Brown had a ringing tone on trombone, which complemented Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton's earthy growl and Juan Tizol's fat sound. Trumpeter Arthur Whetsel, saxophonist Otto Hardwick, and the inimitable Sonny Greer on drums were all associates from the earliest days in Washington. Ben Webster began perfecting his tenor saxophone style during a brief mid-'30s stint with the band before being offered a permanent position in 1940. Late in the decade, Ellington discovered Jimmy Blanton, who would revolutionize bass playing with his terrific sense of swing and dead-on intonation before illness led to a tragically early death. And what can be said about Johnny Hodges, the silky smooth alto saxophonist who influenced generations of musicians? He was, in a line-up of superstars, a cut above all.

Ellington made use of them all, for their personal styles as well as for his own unique voicings that placed trombones at the apex of their range and clarinets at the bottom, or by putting unusual notes in the baritone instead of giving the instrument the chord's dominant tone. His compositions, the unique personal style of his players, his innovative arrangements, and his confidence in his soloists to raise any composition to a new level, combined to provide him with a palette unequaled in music.

The Complete Collection

Our set comprises a massive 11 discs featuring well over 100 Ellington compositions. In addition to the above-named musicians, guest stars Bing Crosby, Ethel Waters and the Mills Brothers make notable appearances. Ellington's female vocalist Ivie Anderson proves she was tailor-made for the band along with other superb band-mates Freddie Jenkins and Wallace Jones on trumpet, Fred Guy on banjo and guitar, Wellman Braud, Billy Taylor and Hayes Alvis on bass, and the unique cornetist Rex Stewart.

The exclusive Mosaic booklet includes a complete discography of the dates, a revealing essay and track by track analysis by Steven Lasker, and a number of rarely seen photographs. We urge you to order early - like all Mosaic sets, this edition is strictly limited, and given the importance of the music it contains, we're expecting significant interest.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 21:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

RIP Kay Davis, Ellington vocalist

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/arts/music/kay-davis-91-dies-ellington-used-her-voice-as-instrument.html?_r=1

― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 15:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

RIP.

Did anyone read that book from last year Ellington's America or whatever it was called?

― Can You Please POLL Out Your Window? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 23 February 2012 15:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

Yeah, I read it, it was great -- a little discussion of it upthread. One of the rare autobios where I came out of it with even more respect for the subject. He wasn't a saint, but it seems like he lived his life in a generally admirable way. For a genius anyway.

― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

Sad news. Always loved the '44 "Creole Love Call." Had no idea she was from my hometown (or that that's where Duke discovered her).

― Let A Man Come In And Do The Cop Porn (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

Yeah she was great -- not really what people think of when they think "jazz vocalist" but Duke used her well in a lot of songs.
btw i made this spotify playlist of Duke in the 1970s - lots of cool stuff! http://open.spotify.com/user/tywilc/playlist/3KNtFDxQE5BBi9fCvNK5m6

― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

RIP Kay Davis.

Nice playlist, Tyler! Thanks for the reminder to order a copy of Live at the Whitney, I need that.

― Brad C., Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah, i have this thread to thank for letting me know about the whitney gig -- it is really fun. that duet discs with ray brown is rad too.

― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

"The three greatest composers are Bach, Delius and Duke Ellington"

--Percy Grainger

(just came across this quote in Bernard Herrmann's biography)

― Axolotl with an Atlatl (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 23 February 2012 17:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

hee hee... Delius is like "who, me?"
Speaking of Ellington in the 70s - just saw this:
Duke Ellington Concert
Municipal Auditorium New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) Apr 24, 1970
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/duke-ellington/concerts/municipal-auditorium-new-orleans-april-24-1970.html

― tylerw, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:29 (1 year ago) Permalink

Was just about to post that! Can't wait to listen. It seems a bit short and heavy on the standbys, but I guess that's to be expected.

― Let A Man Come In And Do The Cop Porn (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah, festival date, crowd-pleasing mode. but those can be the best when it comes to duke.

― tylerw, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Happy 113th, Duke! WCKR birthday broadcast here.

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 29 April 2012 16:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

Thanks for the tip. Happy Birthday, Duke!

― Stars on 45 Fell on Alabama (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 April 2012 18:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

happy b-day! here he is 50 years ago

― tylerw, Sunday, 29 April 2012 19:17 (1 year ago) Permalink

Nice!

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 29 April 2012 19:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

Don't know why it took me a decade to get around to watching Ken Burns' Jazz doc, but there was a fascinating bit about Duke composing the ambitious but melancholy 13 minute "Reminiscing In Tempo" after his mother's passing in 1935. Critics savaged it at the time, but it sounds like a groundbreaking masterpiece. The version I found, however, from a 9 disc Complete Brunswick, Columbia and Master sounds like crap, recorded off a scratchy 78. Anyone know the best version? I'm guessing it's the Best of 1932-39, as it was restored by Harry Coster from the Dutch Jazz Archive. Ironically Sony released the budget priced set just in 2008, but it's already sold out and now fetching prices over $75. Trade, anyone?

The Best of Duke Ellington: 1932-1939 [4CD]
Masterpieces 1926-1949 [4CD]
Reminiscing In Tempo (1991 comp)

― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 15 February 2013 03:25 (3 months ago) Permalink

Further reading says the version I have is actually from the 11 disc Mosaic set, The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick,Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, and it's supposed to be the best. That can't be right!

― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 15 February 2013 03:59 (3 months ago) Permalink

Sadly, that's probably the case. I haven't heard, or heard of, a single instance of any Mosaic set having anything less than stellar mastering from the best available sources.

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 15 February 2013 14:43 (3 months ago) Permalink

Had never heard this one (but there's tons of Ellingtom I haven't heard). This original 78 sounds really nice!

― Nataly Dawn's echoey swamp sound (Dan Peterson), Friday, 15 February 2013 15:33 (3 months ago) Permalink

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