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Ellington
World Sax Quartet
Ellington
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (8) - Disc #1

Duke Ellington's work has always appealed to innovative musicians, from Thelonious Monk to Cecil Taylor to Don Byron. That dynamic, decades-long tradition is apparent on this CD, with the World Saxophone Quartet finding wa...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: World Sax Quartet
Title: Ellington
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Nonesuch
Release Date: 7/1/1991
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Styles: Avant Garde & Free Jazz, Modern Postbebop, Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 075597913729, 075597913712, 075597913743

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Duke Ellington's work has always appealed to innovative musicians, from Thelonious Monk to Cecil Taylor to Don Byron. That dynamic, decades-long tradition is apparent on this CD, with the World Saxophone Quartet finding ways to adapt Ellington and Strayhorn classics to its four-saxophone format and free vocabulary. From the early '30s, the Ellington Orchestra always possessed a great reed section, and Duke excelled at wringing lush and varied textures from it. Those reed sections clearly inspired this project, with the sounds of Ellingtonians like Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, and Russell Procope echoing here in the work of Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, David Murray, and Hamiet Bluiett. The gorgeous melody of "Come Sunday" inspires a superb solo from Murray, who reaches back through a tradition of radical tenor saxophonists to touch on the lyric wellspring of Ben Webster. Similarly, altoist Oliver Lake seems to use the leaping style of Eric Dolphy to reinvent "Prelude to a Kiss." The results are always intriguing, and this is among the WSQ's most durable recordings. --Stuart Broomer

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CD Reviews

Great intro to the inimitable WSQ
08/11/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was the first WSQ album I ever heard and it was accessible enough for me to appreciate it at first hearing, yet challenging enough to make me want to listen again. Duke's standards obviously help make this their most accessible album, but the arrangements and solos are as free as ever. My favorite track is "I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart", which is essentially a 5-minute long free jam, with the melody being touched on at the end. The last chord is incredible- a major chord with one note played out of tune, creating this extraordinary, gritty sound. And check out Hamiett Bluiett on "Sophisicated Lady"!"
All ellington
Case Quarter | CT USA | 08/30/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"the music of duke ellington was a great choice for the world saxophone quartet. when you think big band you think horns. the quartet manages to fill in all the spaces other instruments would occupy without losing sight and sound of the melodies. duke ellington's music lingers long after listening, songs at any given moment i catch myself humming, particularly come sunday. the version by the world saxophone quartet i listen to again and again. the recording is all ellington, certainly the best interpretation of his music i've heard."
Unique
R. J. Maxwell | Deming, NM | 07/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Typically the WSQ begin each track with a recognizable statement of a Duke Ellingon theme, and they're really good. The harmonies are mostly traditional but maybe a little edgy. By the middle of the track they are off on their own trip. You will not hear such sounds elsewhere. Repeated squeaks, pained ululations, unidentifiable low frequency boops, triple-time runs that sound like a waltzing mouse looks. It isn't "easy listening" music. I don't know how often you would want to play this CD. I would suggest longish intervals. And a drink or a Xanax before listening wouldn't hurt either because the normal human must consider his nerves. But it's unique. Both bluesy and insane. It will leave you with a fresh impression of the things that can be done with four simple saxophones."