Since its inception in 1964, the Berlin Jazz Fest had been thought of as a festival that, if not avant-garde, welcomed the most progressive and experimental forms of music of a period rich in all types of modernistic trends, from radical free jazz to a multitude of fusions of pop, rock, soul and jazz. But in 1969, as if swimming against the tide of the revolutions that swept the West, the organizers took an audacious stand: it was Duke Ellington’s 70th birthday and not only did they welcome him at the head of his big band for the first time, but part of the program focused on his heritage; as a bonus and birthday gift, Ellington was featured on the publicity poster of the festival’s sixth edition.

The Berlin concert of 8 November 1969 is magnificent testimony to the extraordinary freshness of tone that Ellington’s big band still displayed on stage, when the sheer pleasure of playing took over from the routine of performance. The concert of 2 November 1973, on the stage of the Philharmonie, turned out to be Ellington’s last concert at the Berlin Jazztage.

Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington wrote some of the twentieth century’s greatest big band music, but he also wrote in a variety of forms. The boisterous and evocative Harlem pays tribute to Ellington’s roots; Black, Brown, and Beige imagines work songs and spirituals; and the suite from The River shows his genius in writing for the stage. Three Black Kings, scored as a ballet, was left unfinished at his death, but shows no lessening of invention. Ellington’s arrangement of Billy Strayhorn’s Take the ‘A’ Train became famous around the world after the outbreak of World War II, and ranks among the most widely recorded standards of all time.

REVIEWS:

Harlem is sub-titled A Tone Parallel to Harlem. It’s a work blessed with a mercurial wealth of ideas smoothly and kaleidoscopically varied. The versatile Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and JoAnn Falletta have no blushes and only confidence for its big-band jazzy jolt. The brass and percussion in particular play it down and dirty with total conviction as in the smokily delivered up-swelling at 8:33 in Harlem.

The Black, Brown, and Beige suite swings, sashays and smooches moodily in the two outer movements, which occasionally can be heard casting sideway glances at Gershwin.

Three Black Kings deploys railroad rhythm excitement in King of the Magi, more dank Delian bluesiness and sighing romance in King Solomon and deep affection in the extremely likeable Martin Luther King movement.

Take the ‘A’ Train was Ellington’s signature number. It is incurably up-beat and street-confident. That’s what it gets from Buffalo and Falletta. The extended violin solo from Amy Licata is worthy of Grappelli.

A vital and very generous collection showcasing a concert Ellington who loved his commercial roots yet had more to give and gave it.

-- MusicWeb International

What we have here is the welcome memento of the Duke Ellington’s 1959 European tour. Berlin’s Sportpalast is not a concert hall and during the cursed Nazi reign often was the site of speeches by Hitler and his fellow criminals, but the hall can perhaps be said to have been purified by sounds of jazz by the time of this concert. The music starts with the Ellington Medley, by then a standard concert opener in varied embodiments. Critics often chided Duke for (in their opinion) overdoing this staple, but in fact it was not only a clever way of dealing with what undoubtedly would have been audience requests for beloved Ducal standards, but also a way of celebrating the continued life of his musical heritage. The concert has been remastered to modern standards, and is a must own for any Ellington fan.

REVIEWS:

Storyville Records has released Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Berlin 1959, a terrific live album with great sound and luxurious music. Partially released in past years on shabby bootlegs, this album gives us this concert with pristine sound. Don't cherry-pick songs when listening. The only way to enjoy this album is by listening from start to finish. Only then can you absorb the depth of the Ellington band's full spectrum of moods and the Duke's piano. Be aware that tracks 17 to 27 are part of an Ellington medley and aren't full songs. As a result, each song is short.

--AllAboutJazz.com (Marc Myers)

There can never be too many Duke Ellington albums. Heard here is Storyville’s recently released two-CD set titled Berlin 1959, a previously unreleased concert. The Duke Ellington Orchestra was well documented in the late 1950s following their major success at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, and the live concerts that have been released from this period can be a little predictable. Just as with the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, there are some routines that do not differ that much from month to month although they eventually evolved. But, as with Armstrong, there are occasional surprises that make each concert well worth hearing.

Overall, everything works well during this fine concert. There may not have been an excess of surprises, but the results are fun.

--The Syncopated Times (Scott Yanow)