The Duke: The Columbia Years 1927-1962
Duke Ellington
Ben Webster, Mahalia Jackson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Rosemary Clooney, Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, Louie Bellson
Producer: Henri Renaud
Legacy Recordings, 2004
3 CD
Catalogue #: 92684
EAN: 0827969268421
UPC: 827969268421
You save: 20%
THE DUKE is a compilation of material recorded for Columbia, OKeh and the American Recording Company labels, from 1927-1940, 1947-1952 and 1956-1962.
Personnel include: Duke Ellington (piano); Ivie Anderson, Kay Davis, Al Hibbler, Mahalia Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Baby Cox, Betty Roche (vocals); Ray Nance (violin, trumpet); Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Otto Hardwick, Paul Gonsalves, Russell Procope, Ben Webster (reeds); Clark Terry, Cootie Williams, Jabbo Smith, Rex Stewart, Shorty Baker, Louis Metcalf, Bubber Miley, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown , Quentin Jackson, Tricky Sam Nanton, Tyree Glenn, Johnny Sanders, Brit Woodman (trombone); Billy Strayhorn (piano); Aaron Bell , Jimmy Blanton, Jimmy Woode, Oscar Pettiford, Wellman Braud, Wendell Marshall (double bass); Louie Bellson, Sam Woodyard, Sonny Greer (drums).
Liner Note Author: Robert G. O'Meally.
Recording information: 1927 - 1962.
Duke Ellington was a great bandleader, a fine if underrated pianist (an influence on Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor), a prolific songwriter, and a superlative arranger, writing specifically to his musicians' strengths, and achieving unique instrumental voicings and textures. He constantly rearranged many compositions, so that, for instance, "Mood Indigo," would differ tremendously in its 1935, 1950 and 1970 incarnations. In consequence, Ellington's was one of the few big bands to survive the Big Band era (the early '30s through the late '40s) while retaining a genuine creative spirit.
THE DUKE is a superb overview of Duke Ellington's sporadic residence at Columbia Records, capturing his music at many of its peaks. There's the madly upbeat Lindy-Hop swing of "Slap Happy," and the mellow, luxurious "In a Sentimental Mood" of the 1930's. The '50s begets the sweet jazz-pop of his collaboration with Rosemary Clooney, and soundtrack music (ANATOMY OF A MURDER), while in the '60s, Ellington, with his right-hand man Billy Strayhorn, tackled a re-casting of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," and a madly swinging face-off with Count Basie's big band. Though it's not definitive (few Ellington compilations could be), this fine set more than lives up to its title.
Tracklist
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington's gift for combining blues simplicity, gospel emotion, and sophisticated musical themes reflected a unique style that drew fans from around the world. From the 1920s to the 1970s, he created a huge body of work that ranks among the greatest contributions to American music. As a pianist, composer, and bandleader, Ellington contained multitudes: from solo recordings to orchestral works, from novelty songs to extended suites, from the sacred to the not-so-sacred. As Miles Davis once said, "All musicians should get down on their knees one day to thank Duke Ellington."
Ben Webster
Saxophonist Ben Webster first gained recognition as a featured soloist with the Benny Moten band in the early 1930s. After stints with Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, and Cab Calloway, among others, he joined the Duke Ellington band in 1940, galvanizing its veteran reed section. Duke showcased him on such masterpieces as "Cottontail" and "All Too Soon," but the volatile tenor man left after a few years, continuing to play in a wide variety of contexts. Though perhaps less an innovator than Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young, he completes the trio of great pre-war tenors, and his warm, breathy sound is instantly recognizable.
Mahalia Jackson
Though moved and inspired by the rich traditions of the blues, Mahalia Jackson, who began her career in the 1930s, lived by her firm belief in singing only for God, a credo which resulted in a surge in popularity of traditional black gospel music among both black and white audiences. Jackson's voice was a deep and dramatic contralto. Her gospel anthems and hymns mixed Baptist and Sanctified Church singing styles with the soul of the blues, resulting in a new sound with a stronger beat and deeper rhythm that permanently changed gospel music.
Johnny Hodges
One of the giants of the alto saxophone, Johnny Hodges was perhaps the most important soloist and sideman in Duke Ellington's orchestra from 1928 up to Hodges's death in 1970. The self-taught player made many solo forays during his long career--one of his '50s outfits included a young John Coltrane--but history remembers Hodges for his virtuosic sidemanship, particularly his sensitive rendering of ballads.
Rosemary Clooney
An iconic American vocalist, Rosemary Clooney often blurred the line between pop and jazz, occasionally even venturing into country and international styles. She started out as a singer with the Tony Pastor band in the 1940s, and her solo career started taking off at the end of the decade. Under the stewardship of Mitch Miller, she had numerous novelty-oriented '50s hits, but later on she dedicated herself to more serious, jazzier work, making some of her finest albums, like 1956's BLUE ROSE. Clooney was also active in films and TV (for a time she had her own television show), and continued performing and recording tirelessly until her death in 2002.
