Search - Duke Ellington :: Blues & Ballads

"Ellington was an original class act - rare individual"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 02/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This volume features the period from 1956-68, Ellington still had the
services of a number of his greatest soloists - all were great jazzmen
and each had his own very specific approach to the blues. Ellington
possessed creativity of unequaled beauty, he was also a "bluesman
par excellence" - his compositions were designed to spotlight
each man's strengths.This CD concentrates on the "Blues and
Ballads" - where Ellington reaches his greatest creative heights
- as such, it's a very strong, cohesive introduction to one of the
largest, richest and must influential body of works in American
music...and that my friends is JAZZ!Of course there are stand outs
- "SOMETHING SEXUAL A/K/A SOMETHING SAXUAL", features the
Duke (piano), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Jimmy Woode (bass) and Sam
Woodyard (drums) (recorded on 2/57 in Chicago), you get the message -
before you know the title..."LONG TIME BLUES", with Harry
Carney (reeds) Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Clark Terry (trumpet-solo)
and Ellington (piano) - (recorded on 1/3/56 in Chicago),
low-down-blues gets into the very essence of your soul.And now for
the highlights - "MOOD INDIGO", (recorded on 3/5/58 at
Mathers Air Force Base, Sacramento California) - probably one of the
most recognizable tunes Ellington ever composed - Harold
"Shorty" Baker, Clark Terry and Ray Nance (trumpets),
Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman and John Sanders (trombones), Russell
Procope, Bill Graham, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton and Harry Carney
(saxophones), Jimmy Woode (bass) and Sam Woodyard (drums) - create
this familiar mood, with the Duke upfront on piano..."ROD LA
ROCQUE", unforgettable classic by Ellington, (recorded on
4/17/63), with Ellington and Strayhorn (piano), Ray Nance (trumpet),
Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton and
Harry Carney (sax), Ernie Shepard (bass) and Sam Woodyard (drums), you
hear it and know immediately - this spells blues Ellington style.A
big thank you to - Cary E Mansfield, Marty Wekser (producers), Jim
Phillips (remastering), Bill Pitzonka (art direction and design),
Billy Vera (liner-notes) and Varese Sarabande - the twenty track
selection is "pure Duke" at his finest hour!Total Time:
70:21 on 20 Tracks...Varese Sarabande 302 066 123 2...(2000)
"