Search - Duke Ellington :: Jaywalker: 1966-19667

Unique Recording of Incidental Music for British Play, and o

Watcher | 12/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"More music from "the Stockpile," as Duke Ellington called it - otherwise know as Duke's private sessions. I have read other reviews questioning why Duke did so much private recording. Late in his career, Duke had developed a practice of taping rehearsals in which he would work in new members of the band, tool with new numbers, try new arrangements for old numbers, and do combinations of all of the above. Duke taped this work so he could play it back and study it, to hear how his ideas sounded, which was always very important to him. It also kept his band sharp. John Coltrane picked this idea up from Duke, his album "Living Space," for instance, are from private sessions, as is "Meditations for Quartet" (which upon playback Coltrane apparently decided the work needed an overhaul).



This album includes work from five different private sessions that took place between March 1966 and June 1967. This version of the orchestra included the Classic Five reed section, Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson on trumpet, Buster Cooper and Lawrence Brown on trombone, John Lamb on bass, with Sam Woodyard on drums, who is replaced by Rufus Jones for most of the sessions, with Bobby Durham supplementing Rufus on drum kit on two sessions with the conga player Emmanuel Abdul-Rahim.



The main attraction is the only recording of Incidental Music Ellington wrote for "The Jaywalker," a play written by British Lady Conlife, formerly known as Barbara Waring, a film star. The production was to play Coventry Garden in 1967, tho it is unknown if it actually went up, and if so, how Duke's music was used. The play was a religious allegory about a man named Mac, who tries to get traffic stopped on a highway in order to bring folks on either side of the road together. Mac is thwarted by the police, and eventually killed trying to stop traffic by himself, but because of his sacrifice, people are permitted to travel freely. From these sessions two songs were composed that Duke continued to develop, ultimately named "The Biggest and Busiest Intersection" and "T.G.T.T. (Too Good To Title)," both of which, with different arrangements than heard here, were incorporated into "Second Sacred Concert."



The first group of tunes on the album are mostly newer songs that Duke had been using in concert. "The Shepherd" had grown from a piano solo to a full band arrangement, used (and recorded) previously in live concerts, this being it's first studio recording, which spotlights both Duke and Cootie. It was also incorporated into the "Second Sacred Concert." Many of the tunes chosen for this album are premiere studio recordings, including Billy Strayhorn's late masterpiece, "Blood Count." In this version we hear a lilting, warm, yet haunting Johnny Hodges solo, whereas his solo on "... and His Mother Called Him Bill" is angry, softly ferocious in it's bereavement. Harry Carney fans will enjoy "Chromatic Love Affair" a vehicle written for him, that he plays beautifully, with deep resonance, low moans, and long held notes that drip into stepped flutters. Cat Anderson is also featured in several numbers, and his unique high register playing is more disciplined than one hears live. Paul Gonsalves and Lawrence Brown are also featured in numbers built around their unique abilities. All the songs sound fresh, the band enjoying playing recently composed material, yet are familiar enough with it that they sound confident, and playful.



The two most fascinating sessions are the ones recording work for "The Jaywalker." Duke, who did not use a conga in his bossa nova album "Afro-Bossa," nor would he a year later for the "Latin American Suite," uses one for a British play about a Christ figure named Mac. The enigmatic Ellington was proud of his heritage, and deeply spiritual. Perhaps, by using the African born drum, he is reminding us that the roots of jazz, and the beginnings of Christianity, both spring from that continent. Duke blends the conga marvelously with Rufus Jones' and Bobby Durham's drums, providing a gorgeous, syncopated blend, that acts as a dancing engine for Duke's highway. As one would expect, some of the tunes are quite short. The ensemble passages involve engaging, intelligent, charismatic composing and arranging, the Duke using his band, indeed, as an instrument, as the sounds of brass, reeds and percussion weave intricate, unpredicatable patterns.



The proto versions of "The Biggest and Busiest Intersection" (Duke uses the basic theme twice, arranged differently, in all likelihood for two different scenes in the play) are programmatic music of a busy road, one version with snarled traffic, the other, with busy yet flowing traffic. Some of "The Jaywalker" is achingly beautiful, approaching the vistas he would later reach in "The River Suite" (which appears on "The Private Collection, Vol. 5: The Suites: New York 1968 & 1970") There is also good solo work by Buster Cooper, Harry Carney, Cootie Williams and Paul Gonsalves. One of my favorite pieces is "Amta," a rhythmic work with a haunting melody, that slowly drives forward, rippling like a strong ocean current, relentless, yet invoking that a sense of calm.



Rounding out the sessions are some interesting tunes that Duke was working on. "Little Purple Flower," a slow tempo number that features etherial work from the piano player. "Eggo," which has also been labeled "Little Purple Flower pt. 2" on live recordings, is a wonderfully complex work, with strong solos by Harry Carney and Paul Gonsalves. "Tin Soldier" is a compelling work-in-progress, which is heard here in it's only studio recording. It has a effervescent quality, with an airy rhythm, and a Johnny Hodges solo.



All in all, "The Jaywalker: 1966-1967" is great collection of Duke's work from "the Stockpile," part of Storyville Records continuing project releasing the best of this material, under the guidance of Ellington's family (the album is also available on their website, where it costs just over twenty bucks, not including overseas S&H). It's an opportunity to hear several 1960's concert numbers in different stages of development, with good work from the soloists, as well as hear Duke at his best with his best instrument, in the wonderfully orchestrated "The Jaywalker." There are informative liner notes, and the recording is high fidelity. I would think that most fans of Ellington's large form works will be delighted with this album."