Perfectionism
bukhtan | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 08/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Duke recorded these pieces in 1951 and '52 not long after altoist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown left the band. Oddly, their absence impairs this music hardly at all. The ensemble playing is as good as Ellington's organization had ever achieved, and Clark Terry (trumpet/fluegelhorn), Cat Anderson (trumpet), Gonsalves (tenor sax), and Duke himself produce very beautiful solos. These recordings may be the best recorded example of Louis Bellson's drumming for Ellington.
"Tone parallel to Harlem" is probably the most successful piece, one of Duke's best long compositions, on a par with the "Tattooed Bride" (on Ellington's "Masterpieces", also recorded by Columbia). This is the first studio recording. "Skin deep" is largely a vehicle for Bellson, which remained in Duke's concert repertoire after Bellson left the band, probably due to its catchy theme. The other pieces are remakes of earlier compositions. Of these, "Perdido" is perhaps the prettiest, with very fine playing by the rhythm section (including Duke) and moving call-and-response among the horns. "The Mooche" is an example of Duke's great instrumental operas, with the clarinettists Hamilton, Procope and Harry Carney (bass clarinet) dominant. It's striking how this much more sophisticated performance maintains the threatening but humorous spirit of versions from the "jungle music" phase in the late Twenties with Bubber Miley and the vocalist Baby Cox. "Take the A Train" features an extended introduction by Billy Strayhorn, a vocal by Bette Roche and a tenor solo by Paul Gonsalves.
At one time a Columbia collection of the same title included Duke's "Controversial Suite", his spoof on Dixieland and "modern jazz", along with these pieces. I can't think of why they would have discontinued that."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1