Great Music, Mediocre Sound Quality
dls31@cornell.edu | Washington, DC | 03/06/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album is a fine compilation of tunes culled from the excellent Ellington 3 disc set, "Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings." Included are such gems as East. St. Louis Toodle-O, featuring Ellington's first brilliant soloist, trumpeter and master of the mute Bubber Miley; Black and Tan Fantasy; The Mooche; and Mood Indigo. Other tracks feature such jazz legends as Johnny Hodges on alto, Barney Bigard on clarinet, and Cootie Williams on trumpet. All in all a great set, but the primitive recording methods used in the late 1920s translates to noticeable hiss on several tracks. Sound quality aside, the music on this disc is essential."