Duke Ellington

Me too, discussion over here

CD PRICES: Did they ever become as affordable as the vinyl/cassettes they replaced? Why?/Why not?

It's a "burn on demand" CD, even

See also http://www.amazon.com/2007-2012-Building-Excluding-Cafeteria-Restaurant/dp/0497503093

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http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PHXQ1W30L._SL500_SS100_.gif

Duke puts it on wax.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKlFFp4-IE

Like making waffles.

I bought a cheapy 3-disc Ellington set the other day and it is totally ruling my life.

your saying so inspired me to listen to the yale concert, which re-blew my damn mind

Once I get my sound back, I'll have to track that down.

whenever this thread is revived, i worry that duke died.

nobody tell amatuerist what happened, i'm afraid it might break his heart

longish piece in the NYorker on Duke, http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2010/05/17/100517crat_atlarge_pierpont?currentPage=all

just saw that! amazing photo. was going to ask if anyone had read that new book -- i was just flipping through it at the bookstore.

Keep eyeing that one in the bookstore, but haven't taken the bait yet.

"Blazing Saddles" was made in 1974!

??

He's in it.

no he ain't, that's count basie

oh.

it's a good scene though.
http://www.morethings.com/fan/blazing_saddles/blazing-saddles-490.jpg

I love Basie & feel like he doesn't get enough love these days

Basie does seem sort of out of fashion it's true.

he's a little less varied when placed against Ellington, and a bit less of a monumental, American hero kind of figure ... but when it comes to swinging, he can kick Ellington's band's ass any day. Duke probably would've agreed.

its a Stooges vs. Stones sort of thing. Basie's sixties stuff with Neil Hefti has a late-career shine that's completely different than Ellington, but just as neat.

yeah i haven't heard a lot of late-period Basie, I should check it out. any specific recommendations?

Atomic.

i think that's the latest one I've heard ... but that's late 50s, right? He lived/recorded for a couple more decades ... oh i've also got this one from 1966, which is pretty off the hook. http://www.amazon.com/Live-at-Sands-Count-Basie/dp/B000009D1P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273683671&sr=1-1

Yeah, Atomic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E%3DMC2_%28Count_Basie_album%29

wait, who doesn't love basie?

he definitely insinuated himself into my generation's consciousness via his sesame street appearances.

and then there's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZOXF83zBg

(you really owe it to yourself to watch the whole thing. you will thank me.)

maybe i should take this to the basie thread, if one exists.

Listened to this a couple times in last year & still sounds great.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518Q6SFZAZL._SS500_.jpg

I've been gradually acquiring volumes in the Private Collection series and so far all of those have been great. It blows my mind to think about him recording hours and hours of big band compositions on his own dime and just putting the tapes on the shelf. The excellent New Yorker article linked above describes how his work as a composer was inseparable from his constant interaction with the band. One of the main reasons he kept touring so hard in the leaner 50s and 60s years must have been to be able to write and record this way.

Lots of Duke material, including the Private Collection stuff, is available for cheap on emusic.

don't think i've heard any of the private collection stuff ... any tips on where to start? jesus there is so much Ellington. Scary thing is that pretty much all of it is pretty great!

The first one I got is v. 5, "The Suites, New York, 1968 & 1970," and that is pretty sweet.

Volume 5 kicks off with a take on "Such Sweet Thunder" that's one of my favorite tracks ever. The "Ocht O'Clock Rock" on Vol 8 is one of his funkiest numbers. I love the room sound on the Private Collection studio albums. For that reason, I like the "Ad Lib on Nippon" better than the one of Far East Suite.

cool, i'll check that out. love the late 60s Ellington sound.

oh nice, you can get a set of them for pretty cheap: http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Ellington-DUKE-ELLINGTON-Box/dp/B00006L5TC/ref=reg_hu-wl_mrai-recs

Are these private collection volumes in roughly chronological order? Because I majorly fuck with 60s Ellington and I wonder if the box of Volumes 6-10 is therefore the one for me.

Almost wish he wrote less sometimes - feel like I just can't get my mind around his body of work.

yeah, but it warms my heart to think that there's a lifetime of duke to listen to ...

The Private Collection series jumps all over the place chronologically. According to allmusic:

Vol. 1: Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
Vol. 2: Dance Concerts, California, 1958
Vol. 3: Studio Sessions, New York, 1962
Vol. 4: Studio Sessions, New York, 1963
Vol. 5: The Suites, New York, 1968 & 1970
Vol. 6: Dance Dates, California, 1958
Vol. 7: Studio Sessions, 1957 & 1962
Vol. 8: Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York
Vol. 9: Studio Sessions, New York, 1968
Vol. 10: Studio Sessions, New Your & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971

You'd think somewhere on the web there'd be a review of the whole series, but I'm not able to find one.

another great ellington deal: http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Classics-Duke-Ellington/dp/B000UO7IME/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1CGIV5J69DXFS&colid=1X3ACMTXW3S2I
5 50s albums for just about ten bucks

and then there's all these Treasury Shows too, yeesh: http://www.storyvillerecords.com/default.aspx?tabID=2627&productId=27249&state_2837=2

xpost that is a great deal! Stuff from when he began to record longer pieces thanks to the new LP format iirc.

in terms of their bands/styles (not nec. their overall impact) I've always thought of it like this

Basie:James Brown::Ellington:George Clinton

that's a good way to think about it. who's sly stone, though?
all of those records on that Original Album Classics thing are pretty great. Such Sweet Thunder, the shakespeare one, has some amazing stuff.

I've been collecting versions of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" for a while now. My favorite is a hidden track at the end of a best of Ferlin Husky CD. Or is it the Three Suns'? For some reason this song inspired the maddest cover versions, especially in the '60s.

who's sly stone, though?

lol I dunno would have to be someone who's classic period was in between or concurrent with Basie and Ellington...

maybe he's cab calloway

and xpost, yeah, i love hearing all the different interpretations of Ellington's event the not-so-good ones. For awhile I was collecting versions "Solitude" ...

*even* the not so good ones

this record is wild -- synthy, moog-y versions of Ellington standards
http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/u/umilia_pier_odetoduke_101b.jpg