Classical Music

Track Listing
1. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
2. C-Jam Blues, The
3. Chelsea Bridge
4. Back Home Again in Indiana
5. Just Squeeze Me
6. Blue Is the Night
7. Everything But You
8. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
9. Frankie and Johnny
10. I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So
11. Rockabye River
12. Jumpin' Room Only
13. You Don't Love Me No More
14. Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note
15. Jubilee Stomp
16. My Old Flame
17. After All
18. All Day Long

Performers include: Duke Ellington (piano); The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Recorded between 1928 and 1967. Includes liner notes by Stephanie Stein.

This is part of the RCA Victor Greatest Hits series.

This set lives up to its title. MORE GREATEST HITS compiles The Duke's best-known tunes (and those of his right-hand man Billy Strayhorn), along with a few pop standards that he didn't write ("Blues in the Night," "My Old Flame"). This material was recorded on a label with which Ellington had a very long, on-and-off relationship, from 1928 to 1967.

Most of these songs are pop and jazz standards, recorded by hundreds of artists. MORE GREATEST HITS includes the '20s "hot jazz" stylings of "Jubilee Stomp"; the elegant, romantic "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"; and the rich, thoughtful orchestration of "Chelsea Bridge." The Duke not only survived the passing of the Big Band era; he thrived (note "All Day Long," from 1967). Though this CD includes no personnel listing, the Ellington band had been the home to some of the greatest soloists in the history of jazz--Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster and Jimmy Hamilton, to name three. If you are looking for a good introduction to Ellington, or want a sampler of some classic big band jazz (with a few piano trio cuts for good measure), pick up this collection.

With this magnificent tribute to Duke Ellington, Claude Bolling has seemingly achieved the impossible; a powerful, blow-by-blow commentary on the very substance of the Ellington achievements. The warmth is present, as is that relaxed, unmistakable swing, and also the solo contributions from the Bolling entourage come so close to the classic creations of the original men. Yes, this is surely a memorable release, never let's up for one instant on the responsibility for recreating, with such exactness, the sounds of the incomparable Duke and his unique company of performers. A distinctly superior act of homage all round... - Ken Rattenbuty.

Masterfully arranged unity of trio and string quartet. Fresh and smooth: new album by the German jazz man from Switzerland. "Caravan", a petal and the women: Joe Haider bows before them. Swinging dreams: old master Joe Haider at his best.

Classical Music

Duke Ellington: Piano Works

This album is a collection of classic melodies from the repertoire of Ben Webster’s famous employer of many years, Duke Ellington. The album is comprised of three live radio sessions with the Danish Radio Big Band in 1969 and 1971, plus live concert sessions with two different backing trios (Finland in 1967 and Denmark in 1969). Aside from one tune, all the performances with the Danish Radio Big Band are based on Ellington’s original scores. The quartet sessions are also great - one with Ben’s boss from the early 1930’s, Teddy Wilson, and the other with Kenny Drew. That Ben Webster was one of the undisputed jazz greats on the tenor saxophone - both in a big band and small group context - is amply illustrated on this fine album.

Classical Music

At some time or other, Claude Bolling had to have hung out with the wrong people to get the right feeling of soul interpreted in his version of Black, Brown and Beige. You'll find the occasions rare when this work is performed in it's entirety. Even Duke Ellington only performed it completely twice in the course of his life. Thank goodness Bolling helps to keep the genius of Duke Ellington alive. And one further word: it takes a genius to know a genius.

The musical that Orson Welles suggested to Duke Ellington, "A Drum Is a Woman" has become a parable in the history of jazz. Created for American television in 1956, Duke Ellington entrusted his disciple and friend Claude Bolling with the European adaptation. Features: A Drum Is a Woman * Rhythm Pum the Dum * What Else Can You Do with a Drum * New Orleans * Hey, Buddy Bolden * Carribee Joe * Congo square * a Drum Is a Woman Part 2 * You Better Know It * Madam Zajj * Ballet of the Flyin' Saucers * Zajj's Dream * Rhumbop * Carribee Joe Part 2 * Final.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) carries a musical legacy that extends beyond the realms of being a writer or bandleader. His music still stands as a brilliant model of American compositional creativity. Although Ellington had a profound influence in the world of jazz, his mastery extends even further into several other compositional outputs including concerti, tone poems, film scores, ballets, big band arrangements and several operas. The four works found on Duke Ellington: The Symphonic Portrait are some of these masterworks that were eventually arranged for the symphony orchestra. Each selection varies greatly in structure, however Ellington’s visionary compositional style, combined with his discomfort with musical labels such as jazz and classical, resulted in a genre that integrated these distinct styles most effectively.

Classical Music

Symphonic Ellington strides confidently.

Nimbus has been picking up MusicMasters’ catalogue and restoring some highly diverting things to the catalogue. This one is a case in point. Maurice Peresss and the American Composers Orchestra are joined by some elite soloists to set down estimable recordings of four of Duke Ellington’s suites - two well known and two markedly less so.

The best known of the quartet, Black, Brown and Beige, has been orchestrated by Peress. We can hear what has to be the baritone saxophone of Joe Temperley in this one, whose evocation of Harry Carney is appropriate yet manages to retain total tonal independence of the illustrious model. Temperley – and Eugene Moye, the cello principal of the orchestra and Walt Weiskopf, the alto player in the orchestra – are not mentioned on the jewel box credits but they are noted in the booklet. Richard Chamberlain cleaves closer to Tricky Sam Nanton in his role and altoist Frank Wess, very much his own man, takes the Johnny Hodges role. It’s true that the orchestral garb can somewhat blunt the pungency of the Ellington scoring but this alternative look at one of Ellington’s most impressive, albeit most contentious, scores is splendidly realised on its own terms.

Three Black Kings was once written off by James Lincoln Collier – himself no stranger to controversy – as "movie music." What I think got to Collier was the rather generic, piecemeal quality of this ballet suite. Ellington’s three songs here were King of the Magi, King Solomon and Martin Luther King and the soloist is Jimmy Heath on tenor and soprano saxophones. There are some feints toward the exotic East and everything – not least Heath’s articulate playing – is exceptionally pleasant. But I’m with Collier here – the music lacks real distinction; it’s fluent but melodically uninvolving and strangely naïve for Ellington. It’s no great surprise to realise that it was left incomplete on Ellington’s death.

New World A-Comin’ is like Black, Brown and Beige another wartime work, again heard here in Peress’ revision. Roland Hanna takes the Ellingtonian piano part, which has been transcribed from the 1943 concert performance; Hanna though improvises the final cadenza. There’s also an excellent solo from clarinettist Stephen Hart. Finally there is Harlem – for Jazz Band and Orchestra perhaps the most impressive, because the most sheerly integrated, of all. There is a stellar quartet of soloists to attend this one and they play with tremendous awareness and control. The seamless quality of Harlem is certainly apparent in this tremendous performance – the variety of moods and textures; the stylistic variety; and that drum solo, played with verve by Butch Miles. And to have alongside you, Jon Faddis, Ron Carter and clarinettist Bill Easley is no bad thing.

The recording quality back in 1989 was – and remains – first class and we also have the advantage of Peress’s own sleeve notes. Symphonic Ellington strides confidently in this re-release.

-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International