Search - Duke Ellington :: Duke at His Best

A CAN'T MISS RELEASE!

F. Barton | Newport, WA USA | 06/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD, with a WHOPPING 24 tracks, incredible remastering, is a must have for any fans of great music.ALL of his trademark songs are here: Perfido, Solitude, Caravan, Sentimental Lady, and the remastering is the BEST I've heard.I've had many collections of the DUKE before, but this one beats them all. PLUS take a look at the price! Who would've believed that we would get THIS MUCH great music at this price? I've noticed from the playing of this CD, that the DUKE made every one of his recordings into a "spell" -- from beginning to end. The earlier short collections do not make this clear. But with every recording he strived and succeeded in making each tune come alive, never changing the mood. One of the best talents of the century! AND we get many songs that are over 3 minutes in length. At that time, it was risky, as the wear and tear on the outer grooves could make for distortion, and DID in many previously released collections. These sound great, no matter what the length."

Lobster & Champagne at the price of Bicmac & Coke

Dennis | Salzburg, Austria | 08/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"De gustibus non est disputandum. For ages, there have been passionate debates about likes and dislikes, though. But among the piles of music, from tremendous to throw-away, there are a few works that are towering above the mediocre and the outstanding like the Stromboli appears to you when rowing in a nutshell on the calm sea.These recordings were designed for the moment (dancing, listening, toe-tapping & finger-snapping, dreaming, romancing, thoroughly listening or just to be raved of) but destined for eternity.The arts are mostly doubted to be capable of changing the world, but on the other hand: Didn't all the thousands of people who were deeply touched by these Dukish gems change a bit, even if unconsciously? You can approach these recordings from all sides, listen to the band infinite times and the music just grows.You'll never get tired of Duke & His Boys and after decades of listening to the same pieces again and again you will still be wondering how such a miracle could happen. If this CD cost 1000$, it would nevertheless be worth buying. But the price at which you can dive into the Ellingtonian ocean is a miracle, too."

Good Comp For Beginner

R. White | USA | 01/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Minus about 6 tracks, most of these versions of these songs appear on the Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band [BOX SET] which is sounds just as good as the mastering does on this compilation. If you are curious about Ellingtons Sound then this is a good way to go for a decent sampling of his early work. However, it would be worth the few extra dollars to buy the box set and get a more comprehensive selction of Duke Ellingtons music of this period. The box contains 3 discs containing an average of 25 tracks each - more than triple the amount on this compilation. In addition, the box set comes highly recommended (by Jazz writer Tom Piazza-from his book: The Guide To Recorded Jazz) as an essential document of Duke Ellingtons contributions to early jazz. Altogether though, all of this music is pure joy to listen to, if you are at all inclined to listening to early jazz and big band music then you can't go wrong with this compilation or even better the box set.

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