Search - Duke Ellington :: Piano in the Background (Reis)

Piano in the Background (Reis)
Duke Ellington
Piano in the Background (Reis)
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (14) - Disc #1

Forget the misleading title: though Duke Ellington is heard with his orchestra on these reissued 1960 recordings--not with a trio, as on the exceptional companion release Piano in the Foreground (1961)--he is still very mu...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Duke Ellington
Title: Piano in the Background (Reis)
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Sony
Release Date: 7/27/2004
Album Type: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Swing Jazz, Orchestral Jazz
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 696998710726

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Forget the misleading title: though Duke Ellington is heard with his orchestra on these reissued 1960 recordings--not with a trio, as on the exceptional companion release Piano in the Foreground (1961)--he is still very much the table-setter, the driving force, the pilot, the master framer on keyboard. Recorded in Los Angeles, Piano in the Background consists of remakes of Ducal classics including "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "I'm Beginning to See the Light" (both arranged by Gerald Wilson), and "Perdido" (arranged by Bill Mathieu). If there were occasions when that format resulted in mortal performances, the band is in upbeat form here, delighting in fresh charts that remake the songs via tantalizing introductions, offbeat rhythms and accents, and bold off-center harmonies. Bonus cuts include two lively versions of George Shearing's "Lullaby of Broadway," the Billy Strayhorn ballad "Dreamy Sort of Thing" (featuring the composer on piano and alto Johnny Hodges), and Wilson's bluesy "The Wailer." There's also a previously unissued 1961 version of "Harlem Air Shaft." --Lloyd Sachs

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CD Reviews

Great, great, great
COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 11/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is Ellingtom and Orchestra at the top of their game. Get it. And play it loud. The older this stuff gets, the more it stands out, like a good bottle of fine wine."