Live in '45
Stephen M. Horvath | Pottsville, PA | 07/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"DUKE'S JOINT is a compilation of live recordings from 1945 and 1943. The first 13 tracks are from the Cafe Zanzibar in October of 1945. The remaining tracks were recorded from Langley Field Air Force Base in Decemeber of 1943. The glass masters for tracks 1-9 were broken in transit and had to be pieced together to make this recording possible! The imperfections in sonic quality from the broken masters is thankfully negligible. Vocal performances on this album are by Kay Davis, Joya Sherrill, Ray Nance & Betty Roche. Ray Nance's violin solo on "Caravan" is particularly interesting. There are many great solos on this album, such as Al Sears on "Cotton Tail." You can even hear the Duke yelling in the background during the solos. Many of the tunes on this album are rare cuts. "Three Cent Stomp" was never cut for Victor and "Blues on the Double" and "Fickle Fling" were never recorded for RCA. There are also great Ellington versions of the popular "I'll Buy That Dream," "Autumn Serenade" & "How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky)." These post-Blanton-Webster band performances show that the orchestra could and would continue to thrive for years to come, although it would hit a lull in the late 40's and early 50's. DUKE'S JOINT is a wonderful example of the radio shows that were a large part of his career."
Uncontrollably Happy that I Bought This One!
Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 02/05/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rather than repeat all of the technical (dates, etc...) information given in the previous and fine interview, I'll just head for my impressions of the music.
First off, I'm not any sort of Ellington Encyclopedia. I'm still in the opening stages of getting into his music. I can't compare these performances to 5 or 10 other performances of all these tunes, so as far as how (or if) the arrangements differ, I can't speak to that. What I can really say is that this disc is absolutely fantastic!
Of the Ellington discs I own as of this review (Duke's Joint, Money Jungle, Treasury Shows 10), this is my clear favorite, with Money Jungle in 2nd. I've heard that the Blanton-Webster Band is THE ONE, but so many people (based on reviews) seem unhappy with the Blanton-Webster box, I am waiting. Hopefully JSP or someone else will put together a killer box with impeccable transfers and a lack of noise-reduction. My point? If Blanton-Webster is THE ONE, then that must have been one epic band because this Duke's Joint disc knocks me out every time!
I also want to mention the sound... it is excellent. Although it's the same year and band, this disc utterly destroys the Treasury Shows Volume 10 recordings. On that disc, oftentimes the brass is muffled and distant. On this disc, everything is full and lush and right there in your ears. The sound just adds so much to the experience. Here you get the full, nuanced tones of all the players. This reed section could jump-start someone out of a coma!
Of all you hear about Ellington's use of interesting voicings and working the whole band as one instrument, this is the disc that illustrates that to me most clearly and most often. If there are alot more Ellington recordings out there that contain all the pure magic of this one, I am in for a big treat, the deeper I get into him. Except for (again) the thankfully brief-yet-dreadful stylings of Kay Davis, and Riff Staccato (one of the dumbest tunes of all time), this disc is a masterpiece... and once again, Joya Sherrill proves to be excellent... easily my favorite of Ellington's singers (so far)!
This is a blues-soaked, rollicking swinger of a good time!
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