― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 5 June 2003 16:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― arch Ibog (arch Ibog), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Lee G (Lee G), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 5 June 2003 17:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 13:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
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 (twenty-one years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 14:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 21:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 15 September 2004 03:55 (twenty years ago) link
― mentalist (mentalist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 04:35 (twenty years ago) link
"chocolate shake" is v. close.
― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:20 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:21 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:22 (twenty years ago) link
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 15 September 2004 06:26 (twenty years ago) link
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 (twenty years ago) link
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 (twenty years ago) link
I am listening to Jungle Nights in Harlem and you should too.
― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:24 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
underrated record is 'side by side' w/ johnny hodges sweets edison KILLS IT on trumpet
― deej, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Must look into that then! I love those underrated ones.
― our work is never over, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Jubilee Stomp is an acceptable substitute if Jungle Nights in Harlem is not available.
― Oilyrags, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Damnit hes prolific. I havn't heard any of this.
― our work is never over, Monday, 21 January 2008 03:47 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
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 (sixteen years ago) link
I am really enjoying The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
YES.
"Didjeridoo" is quickly becoming a tune I feel really gypped that I never got to play with my jazz combo in college
― TOMBOT, Friday, 24 October 2008 07:15 (fifteen years ago) link
emusic subscribers who don't have this record, you have wasted a month.
Tom, you should post here too:Ellington as pianist
Matos DJs on Wednesdays here and plays something from The Far East Suite almost every week.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Friday, 24 October 2008 08:35 (fifteen years ago) link
I've been listening to The Far East Suite pretty much nonstop, with a couple of plays of The Seattle Concert thrown in. Sound is rough, as it's a 1952 show (and Ellington's first LP as such), but really sweet. Clark Terry is really nice on "Perdido."
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 00:02 (fifteen years ago) link
I should say the album is really sweet, not the rough sound.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 00:03 (fifteen years ago) link
Duke Ellington becomes first African-American on U.S. coin
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 14:59 (fifteen years ago) link
this is great -
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gbfqxqejldse
― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 15:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Eee, that does look good. Also expensive.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 16:46 (fifteen years ago) link
Jazz man is first African-American to solo on U.S. circulating coin
― double bird strike (gabbneb), Tuesday, 24 February 2009 16:49 (fifteen years ago) link
I've been saying for years we need to get politicians off our money and artists on. Nice work, DC! We could get off to no better start.
― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 16:53 (fifteen years ago) link
http://dcist.com/2009/01/dc_duke_ellington_quarter_released.php
Oh god, the comments.
"I looked up Duke Ellington"
Wow. Says it all, really.
― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 17:06 (fifteen years ago) link
[6] | snoopydog
Who is Duke Ellington and why should I care about him? Are there any other individuals on the quarters that I missed? Usually it's some stupid mountain or some wild life from the state. Who's Duke Ellington? Was he the architect of DC? I thought that guy was French. Ellington does not sound French to me.
― deej da 5'9 (deej), Tuesday, 24 February 2009 17:10 (fifteen years ago) link
I realize that DC isn't exactly the center of intellectualism but really, a piano player who likes white suits?
― Øystein, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 17:47 (fifteen years ago) link
This is why I have instituted a strict "DO NOT READ COMMENTS ON INTERNET" policy. Talk about douchebags.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 17:59 (fifteen years ago) link
a funny thing to post on an Internet message board, yeah, but I'm talking about newspaper comments, etc.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 18:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Beat out Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass. I guess I could live with any of those on a quarter. I still would like to replace Andrew Jackson on the 20 with someone a little less....genocidal, though.
― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 24 February 2009 20:03 (fifteen years ago) link
ok here we are:
https://i.imgur.com/Qvyjcb1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YRd9fHp.jpg
― budo jeru, Tuesday, 5 May 2020 23:33 (four years ago) link
Cool. I need to watch it too.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 5 May 2020 23:34 (four years ago) link
really love cootie williams' vocals on this tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O9bnB4_9UYPECKIN' - Johnny Hodges and his Orchestra, vocal by Cootie Williams (1937)
― budo jeru, Monday, 11 May 2020 04:06 (four years ago) link
that doesn't look like grady tate to me. Wiki says the soundtrack is James Johnson on drums. Having trouble finding a good pic of him to compare.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Monday, 11 May 2020 04:29 (four years ago) link
Yes to Peckin'. My fav of his jive songs.
Also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA1gfjvpFOE
― Julius Caesar Memento Hoodie (bendy), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 01:34 (four years ago) link
A new series has launched called Ellington In Order, a remastering of just about everything Duke recorded.That’s good!There is no physical release; it’s streaming-only.That’s bad.https://open.spotify.com/album/4ornuDeqxrpKPMnh5zKxNN?si=5hGa-gJJQdCX-j92fEV8yQ
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 16 June 2023 20:56 (one year ago) link
hmmm — yeah, seems like they could do one of those 100+ CD sets a la Beethoven or Bach ... it'd probably sell!
― tylerw, Friday, 16 June 2023 21:03 (one year ago) link
Exactly — and considering the target audience for Ellington isn’t likely to be listening via streaming, a big CD box a) would presumably be cheap to produce, and b) would sell.But at least this material is finally getting remastered, especially his ‘20s sides — I don’t think the 1991 OKeh Ellington set has ever gotten a sonic upgrade.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 16 June 2023 21:23 (one year ago) link
A new series has launched called _Ellington In Order_, a remastering of just about everything Duke recorded._That’s good!_There is no physical release; it’s streaming-only._That’s bad._https://open.spotify.com/album/4ornuDeqxrpKPMnh5zKxNN?si=5hGa-gJJQdCX-j92fEV8yQ🕸
― Crabber B. Munson (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 17 June 2023 04:52 (one year ago) link
Ah, the Hoffman forum has the answer: it’s just Sony-owned stuff (which now they own the Victor masters is a lot).
― Crabber B. Munson (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 17 June 2023 05:07 (one year ago) link
True, it's not everything Duke recorded, and I'm not enough of an expert to know how much tune-overlap there was from one label to another, especially among the smaller labels. But supposedly the Vocalion material isn't part of this, which is odd since I assumed Sony owned those, like they do Robert Johnson's Vocalion sides.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 17 June 2023 14:51 (one year ago) link
Last I knew the Vocalion stuff was owned by Decca, now owned by Universal.
― Crabber B. Munson (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 17 June 2023 15:01 (one year ago) link
The RCA Victor stuff alone is huge. The "Centennial" box set from 1999 was probably the last time any of those records were remastered from the best sources from RCA's vaults. (I *think* it was mostly original metal parts too, which is typically rare but not that surprising for an artist of Duke's stature.) I used to covet that set - a whopping 24 CD's - but the mastering was really bad. If you listen to any of the Ellington stuff John R. T. Davies mastered, it's clear they jacked up the high end and did something wrong where you have that loud high-pitched noise that shouldn't be there. (Has nothing to do with typical surface noise, they just messed something up with those transfers.)
Some great RCA LP's like ...and his mother called him Bill and Far East Suite but I really want the Blanton-Webster band records from 1940 to 1942 re-done, that alone took up six discs of the Centennial box set thanks to the additional duets and small combo stuff which was also great. If it's available as a download, I'll settle for that - again, it's been close to 25 years since this stuff has been remastered.
― birdistheword, Sunday, 18 June 2023 00:43 (one year ago) link
Should clarify, "it's clear they jacked up the high end and did something wrong" is in reference to RCA's 1999 Centennial set.
― birdistheword, Sunday, 18 June 2023 00:44 (one year ago) link
Comparing the two versions of The Mooche the Victor version sounds really sharp and the Okey version sounds about the same general quality as I remember from 90s CDs. I didn’t even know the opening track, so neat to walk though his career the way the band experienced it.
― Terrycoth Baphomet (bendy), Sunday, 18 June 2023 13:14 (one year ago) link
but I really want the Blanton-Webster band records from 1940 to 1942 re-doneThe very existence of that massive RCA box was frustrating — I wasn’t going to shell out $400 or whatever it was for a bunch of things I already had, things I didn’t necessarily want (the Tanglewood concert), and things I was sure would get their own release soon anyway (Blanton-Webster). The mastering of the Blanton-Webster recordings was, as you said, poorly done, but it was actually a marked improvement over the ‘80s CDs of that band, which sounded like a landline phone. A year or so after the big box came out, RCA started releasing many of its elements as standalone sets (e.g., the mid-‘40s recordings 3CD set, which actually sounds fairly decent)…but it was years until the Blanton-Webster material got its own release. When it finally came out it was in cheap, flimsy packaging, and then it quickly went out of print. I hope this current project brings the same necessary fidelity to these recordings that, say, the most recent Robert Johnson set received.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 18 June 2023 14:16 (one year ago) link
It looks like Ellington In Order is available for download on HDTracks. I listened to a few samples, compared them with The OKeh Ellington, and...this feels like a missed opportunity. Maybe the comparison to the Robert Johnson set isn't fair (after all, guitar and voice is probably easier to futz with mastering-wise than a 12-15 piece orchestra), but the new remasters don't sound dramatically different. They do sound different, and a little better -- slightly fuller, a little more bass -- but it's not the revelation it could or should have been. I dunno, I probably had unrealistic expectations that advancements in technology over the last 30+ years would've resulted in more of a sonic upgrade. ymmv.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 18 June 2023 17:02 (one year ago) link
i remember getting the remastered Blanton-Webster CD set in the mid-'00s. it sounded fucking awful because they decided to leave in all this digital clipping, or something?
https://i.discogs.com/LkVQURXYwybpf77OllTlS47I9e6ITPkFqsNJGqvJGpA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:543/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI2MDI3/MzYtMTYxNzUwMTYw/MS02MTA3LmpwZWc.jpeg
so i have stuck with my original CD from the '80s. much better in my opinion:
https://i.discogs.com/wMShlgdGSP8MLEbXuVMg2qsVHbi8R6GZOWIYkz5RKSQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:594/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMTc1/MTQ3LTE2MzE0MzY0/MzgtNTgxNi5qcGVn.jpeg
but i'd be interested in checking out another, new remaster of these recordings.
― budo jeru, Sunday, 18 June 2023 17:09 (one year ago) link
Yeah, that was a real disappointment — same mastering as on the big 1999 RCA box, as far as I know. Things like “Jack The Bear” especially are really frustrating for what you mentioned, when the reeds come in at the beginning — I don’t think it’s digital distortion, but just a shitty mastering job that over-emphasized the high end so that any distortion on the 78 would be magnified. That said, I still prefer it to the ‘80s set, but it sucks that the choice is limited to either something that sounds like a megaphone, or dealing with that brittle/bright mastering.For early ‘40s Ellington, the 1940 Fargo set has vastly superior sound to any ‘40s Ellington studio recordings I’ve heard. I’d almost recommend it to a newbie over the ‘40s studio dates for that reason, despite not having certain key songs (like “‘A’ Train”), and you really get a sense of how exciting it must have been to see that orchestra live.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 18 June 2023 18:44 (one year ago) link
If you want a cheap, easy way of hearing how good early '40s Ellington can sound, find this CD:
https://www.discogs.com/release/4740444-Duke-Ellington-Rockin-In-Rhythm
Very common, very cheap, but it was remastered by the late, great John R. T. Davies. (Part of a series of jazz samplers that formed a survey on jazz history, courtesy of the UK magazine publisher Marshall Cavendish.) "Ko-Ko," "Cotton Tail" and "Jack the Bear" actually sound natural - no shrill EQ, no excessive noise but no noise processing like NoNoise or CEDAR either. It's a damn shame Davies didn't do a complete and comprehensive collection before he died.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 20 June 2023 00:27 (one year ago) link
this is what I have, any of you tru headz wanna comment on the mastering/sound?
https://www.discogs.com/release/2949550-Duke-Ellington-An-Explosion-Of-Genius-1938-1940
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Tuesday, 20 June 2023 14:42 (one year ago) link
Sony/RCA put out a 4CD set in 2008 covering 1932-1939 in what I assume are newer transfers than The Okeh Ellington. The mastering is less aggressive than the RCA Centennial box. I always thought the latter sounded remarkably present but also, as mentioned above, unduly harsh at times with that weird high-pitched noise coming in, usually toward the end of a track.
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Tuesday, 20 June 2023 18:50 (one year ago) link
...but that set doesn't cover the Okeh material, I see. Never mind, carry on!
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Tuesday, 20 June 2023 19:50 (one year ago) link
in my opinion, for pre-war ellington, you need:
The Okeh Ellington 2xCD (Columbia) [1927-1930]The Complete 1936-1940 Variety, Vocalion & Okeh Small Group Sessions 7xCD (Mosaic)The Blanton-Webster Band 3xCD (RCA Bluebird) [1940-1942]
curious what others would add, but this has been enough for me.
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 21 June 2023 01:08 (one year ago) link
Just now seeing: In Order Volume 1 (1927-1928)---43 songs, 2 hrs. 11 min.--is also on YouTubeMusic; maybe they've got the rest, or will have:https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l_NlTYi1pu5LbIIUR-eDP6MPfBuUSMJD4
― dow, Thursday, 29 June 2023 23:22 (one year ago) link
I feel like this guy should be selling this through an auction house:
Here’s a truly once in a lifetime opportunity for Jazz and Duke Ellington affectionados.
From the estate of Dr. Ted Shell, an original founder of the first Ellington Society in Washington, DC and personal friend of the Duke, this massive collection of tapes consists of recorded live concerts, rehearsals, outtakes, radio and television broadcasts and interviews by Duke Ellington spanning the decades from the 1939 - and possibly earlier - up to the 1970s.
The unique collection consists of 523 reel to reel tapes. The catalog alone, meticulously compiled and typewritten is 267 pages long. A glimpse can be seen in the photos below, as well as the preamble listing contents of about two thirds of the tapes.
Part of Dr. Shell’s collection of Ellington ephemera now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.
Listing with photos here.
― birdistheword, Saturday, 31 August 2024 21:55 (three weeks ago) link
Respected auction house “Canuck Audio Mart”
― Bad Bairns (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 31 August 2024 22:18 (three weeks ago) link
Guernsey’s was too shady
― birdistheword, Saturday, 31 August 2024 22:30 (three weeks ago) link