Here is a time capsule into the world of a musical titan who, after four decades at the helm of jazz innovation, was still striding through new artistic terrain with ease. Picture Duke Ellington-sharp as ever in a tailored suit, leading his octet through the glittering New York night atop Rockefeller Center. It's August of '67, and in the Rainbow Room, with it's cocktail-clinking ambiance, Duke and his select ensemble of veterans are reinventing the jazz vocabulary with every note.
In the late summer of 1947, the Hollywood Bowl set the stage for a night that would resonate through jazz history. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, already legendary, performed under the stars in an electrifying display of jazz innovation and mastery. By this time, Ellington was much more than a celebrated composer and bandleader; he had emerged as a visionary force, weaving together musical forms to reshape jazz and extend it's reach. This album immortalizes that unforgettable night, capturing Ellington's orchestra at a moment when jazz was evolving into a sophisticated art form with Ellington at the helm.
In the summer of 1947, Duke Ellington and his orchestra took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, delivering a performance that embodied the genius and evolution of one of jazz's greatest innovators. By this point, Ellington was more than a composer and bandleader-he was a visionary, reshaping jazz and solidifying his legacy as one of America's most influential musicians. This album captures that electrifying night, showcasing Ellington's big band during a pivotal moment of transformation in jazz.
Featuring jazz interpretations of Tchaikovsky's the Nutcracker, the album has come to be recognized as one of Duke Ellington's most important albums of the 1960s. Yet when the Duke and his writing partner Billy Strayhorn first announced plans to take the classical ballet and perform a Jazz version, even members of Duke's orchestra expressed their doubts that the project would amount to much.
In 1955 the great Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performed for the 10,000 seat D. C. Armory, in his hometown of Washington, D. C. As Ellington fans will of course remember, Ellington had an incredible rebirth at the Newport Jazz Festival the next year, after reacquiring alto saxophone star Johnny Hodges and his writing partner, the great Billy Strayhorn. New drummer Sam Woodyard would also prove to be an invaluable part of the new Ellington sound, but as this concert is from 1955, none of these changes had as yet taken place, which is why this performance is so very significant to the Ellington aficionado. In this performance we have the great alto saxophonist Rick Henderson, who was a very capable arranger as well as bebop altoist. Here we get to hear a rare glimpse of his playing and writing on 'All The Things You Are'. He was not featured as the band's lead alto, as Russell Procope had taken over after brief stints in which Willie Smith and then Hilton Jefferson played lead in the band. We also hear from the great drummer Dave Black, for whom Strayhorn composed and arranged 'Gonna Tan Your Hide', and here he is most interestingly heard in his interpretation of 'Tone Parallel to Harlem'. Perdido is used as a swinging vehicle for Clark Terry's prodigious and sassy story telling, along with some sidebar commentary by other brass members Nance, Anderson, and Woodman. 'Just Squeeze Me' features Ray Nance's soulfully swaggerful singing as always. Pay attention to the 'pep section' (brass with plungers) as they squeeze so much juice out of this song it should be a crime! Cat Anderson does his usual Spanish tinged feature on 'La Virgen', full of suspenseful dramatics and prowlery of 'el gato' himself. Duke announces a fully descriptive introduction of the 1946 composition 'Happy Go-Lucky Local' complete with his subliminal shot at ex-Ellingtonian tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, who essentially 'borrowed' the main theme of the tune for his huge hit record 'Night Train'. More great Ray Nance vocals on 'A Train', the very song he recorded his very famous trumpet solo on, but this is the early 50's version of course, complete with an incredible performance by tenor sax giant Paul Gonsalves. The tune called 'John Sanders' Blues' appears to actually be a slight reworking of 'Happy Go-Lucky Local' part 1, again from the 1946 composition, Deep South Suite.
Duke Ellington Presents, recorded for Bethlehem in 1956, is unusual in that it consists mainly of standards. On it, Duke Ellington and key soloists work wonders on such chestnuts as "My Funny Valentine," "Summertime," "Laura," and the Rosetta Stone of be-bop, "I Can't Get Started," plus a few choice Ellington originals. Duke Ellington Presents is an accessible entry point for newcomers, as well as an overlooked gem for Duke fans. Remastered 96 kHz/24 bit audio pressed on 180 gram vinyl LP at Precision Record Pressing in Canada.
Recorded at four venues during Duke Ellington's first annual tour of the Pacific Northwest in 1952, these songs bring listeners to the ballrooms and armories of Oregon and Washington, where the legendary Ellington and his band had been hired to play for dancers.
Duke Ellington's 'The Feeling of Jazz' from Black Lion Records, remastered for the first time in decades by legendary engineer, Bernie Grundman. Performed by the 1962 Duke Ellington Orchestra featuring: Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Aaron Bell, Bill Berry, Lawrence Brown, Roy Burrows, Harry Carney, Chuck Conners, Buster Cooper, Leon Cox, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, Russell Procope, and Sam Woodyard.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket. Duke Pearson's 1967 album The Right Touch is perhaps the finest of his career and a showcase for the breadth of his talents as a pianist, composer, and arranger. Six memorable originals are performed by a dynamic 8-piece band including Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax) and James Spaulding (alto sax). Blue Note Tone Poet Series is remastered from the original analog tapes.
