Duke!!!

[Alex]

So, after years of being one of those people who only owns "Blanton-Webster Band" and the famous Newport recording, I've finally been conducting a thorough investigation of this wonderful artist. At the risk of indulging in Reynolds-like hyperbole, this is simply the finest Jazz I've ever heard, and I'm ashamed it took me so long to start looking into such a universally acknowledged great.

I'd like some recommendations. Here's what I've got already, in addition to the two mentioned above:

Far East Suite
Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
Such Sweet Thunder
And His Mother Called Him Bill
Okeh Ellington
Carnegie Hall Concert 1943

Where to next? I think I'll definitely spring for the Johnny Hodges Mosaic box when I've got the cash. Dunno about the Reprise box, though.

But what else do you all recommend?

[Tom Storer]

I'd also recommend All-Star Road Band, Vol. 1, a late-50's ballroom gig that was recorded. Loose, swinging, powerful, like a relaxed lion - and recorded so it sounds like you're sitting right in the middle of the stage with them. Has the best version I've heard of Ray Nance's "highly animated vocal version of our theme, 'Take the A Train.'"

When you get to the completist stage, don't fail to check out the ten volumes of the "Private Collection" - a mixed bag but with many, many gems.

Note: All-Star Road Band Vol. 2 doesn't come from the same concert and isn't as good, IMHO.

[Gary Sisco]

My favorite Duke (not that I don't love a whole lot more of him) is still the early stuff on the Brunswick recordings. Check them out. Jazz from the 20s/early 30s hardly ever gets talked about here. Anyway, check it. Hear from whence the rest flows ....

[Pete C]

Alex, you've already got some of my top recommendations. I'd add Private Collection Volume 10, which has the best version, IMO, of Black, Brown & Beige. Also New Orleans Suite.

It looks like you don't have any albums with "A Tone Parallel to Harlem," one of his greatest extended compositions. For that I'd recommend the Great Paris Concert, by the 60's band. It features a typical Ellington live performance of those years: the early hits (sometimes modernized), the star soloist features, and several extended works.

[Gary Sisco]

Alex -- There's another great one from the same period as "And His Mother Called Him Bill" -- "The Intimacy Of The Blues." Everyone needs to hear those two. By far my favorite later Dukes.

[SinginSumo]

Can't go wrong with any of these:


John Coltrane & Duke Ellington

Small Groups, Vol. 1

Money Jungle

Soul Call

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Sings The Duke Ellington Songbook


Happy listening!

[Nate Dorward]

The live recordings from Fargo are pretty essential too--the essential pendant to the Blanton/Webster studio recordings.

[Jim Sangrey]

Check out LIVE AT THE WHITNEY (Impulse!). Solo & trio, 1972, not released until 1995. Deeply intimate playing illuminates some old favorites and some quite exploratory newer things. Here, the piano is his orchestra, not just his instrument (sorry, that's as clever as I can twist the cliche....).

"Beyond category", as the man himself would say.

[james harrigan]

Alex, much though I love my copy of the Hodges Mosaic, it should go fairly far down on your must-buy list. Others have made good recs, none of which I'd contradict. I'd add the wonderful Ellington-Coleman Hawkins session from the early 1960s, on Imulse, and the hard-swinging and delightful "Blues in Orbit" on Columbia (my 9-year old son's favorite Duke).

some minor quibbles among the above excellent recommendations: "Fargo" is great music, but very poor fidelity, so it depends on your tolerance for that. I like "Soul Call", but wouldn't put it near the top of your list.

[Brian Olewnick]

I've been meaning to get the Fargo set for quite a while; thatnks for the reminder. Of those not mentioned yet, I'd add:

New Orleans Suite
This One's for Blanton (duos w/Ray Brown)
Money Jungle

[Uli]

Duke is such an immense treasure chest. A couple of my favorites which have not been mentioned yet.
Afro-Bossa (from the 60'ies i believe)
Braggin in Brass (a compilation for the 30ies)
a 3CD comp from RCA/Bluebird from the 40ies simply named DE (my companion set tothe Blanton/Webster srecordings)

[Pete C]

Originally posted by Brian Olewnick
I've been meaning to get the Fargo set for quite a while; thatnks for the reminder. Of those not mentioned yet, I'd add:

New Orleans Suite
This One's for Blanton (duos w/Ray Brown)
Money Jungle

Are you reading this thread with your eyes closed?

[Steve Reynolds]

Black, Brown & Beige - with Mahalia Jackson


I alos love Soul Call -band is in exhuberant form - especially on the shorter numbers

waiting for the Blanton-Webster re-issue

would also love a new better sounding re-issue of Blues in Orbit, another great late 50's session

[Brian Olewnick]

Sorry Pete, I was momentarily afflicted with storeritis.

[Nate Dorward]

Originally posted by Alex
So, after years of being one of those people who only owns "Blanton-Webster Band" and the famous Newport recording...

Incidentally, depending on how many years it's been since you purchased the Newport recording, you may want to check out the refurbished--virtually reinvented--version of this in the 2-CD set drawing on the Voice of America broadcast to create a stereo version. I haven't quite decided what I make of the "new" version--on the one hand, it achieves the landmark goal--miracle, really--of recovering an on-mike version of Gonsalves' great solo. On the other, the reissue does dilute the original album by releasing every jot & tittle of the concert, complete with ("historic", yes, but irritatingly long) announcements, crowd noise, & so forth (12 minutes of this stuff separating the actual music), plus some "historic" but again rather subpar music from the concert (including the abortive opening to the concert, some inconsequential vocal numbers, &c).

I've always liked the 1930s small-group stuff under various nominal leaders (Hodges, Stewart, &c) which was at one point available from Columbia on 4 CDs, split over two sets--I think this is now out of print in that format, though.

[Tom Storer]

Brian, I don't understand. I don't see any red in this thread.

[moneyp]

Fargo Fargo Fargo...

...and a big second for Small Groups.

[Jim Sangrey]

Originally posted by Nate Dorward
I haven't quite decided what I make of the "new" version--on the one hand, it achieves the landmark goal--miracle, really--of recovering an on-mike version of Gonsalves' great solo. On the other, the reissue does dilute the original album by releasing every jot & tittle of the concert, complete with ("historic", yes, but irritatingly long) announcements, crowd noise, & so forth (12 minutes of this stuff separating the actual music), plus some "historic" but again rather subpar music from the concert (including the abortive opening to the concert, some inconsequential vocal numbers, &c).

For such dilemmas were CD burners invented... ;-)

[Jay]

If you are a fan of the Blanton-Webster era, one disc that has not been mentioned, that I feel is essential, is "Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra 1941: The Complete Standard Transcriptions" on Soundies. Fantastic versions of the familiar with different arrangements at times and the sound is good.

I am also presently enjoying several volumes of the Duke Ellington Trasury Series on Storyville. I particualrly like Vols. 1 and 4. Nice to hear Duke and the band trying to come up with new takes on old tunes and the "hit parade" as well as his war bond pitches.

As for the Columbia era, check out the Shakespeare suite, "Such Sweet Thunder" or also "Uptown." I really enjoy the latter particualrly for the Louis Bellson piece, "Skin Deep." Great drums.

I could go on and on, I have to say that the mammoth RCA box is one of the jewels of my collection, one that I visit often. Afro-Erasian Eclipse is on that one and one of the highlights of the latter part of the set. "Ad Lib on Nippon" being particualrly noteworthy.

[Pete C]

The Standard transcriptions are excellent. Since they were studio recordings made for radio broadcast, the sound is quite good. In addition to the alternate versions of many of the Victor recordings, there are a number of standards and originals that were not otherwise recorded. Some of the transcription versions predate the Victor sessions of the same tunes. And I think Ben's Rain Check solo on the transcription surpasses the commercial recording.

[Jay]

Pete: I am with you on Ben & "Rain Check." I also think that Jumpin' Pumpkins is also superior to the original (and many alt takes from the 24 disc set).

[Alex]

Okay, at the local store, they've got the following:

The 3-CD set of the complete Vocalion/Brunswick/Decca recordings, issued on the European "Definitive Label." I believe this is what Sisco referred to.

The 3-CD Mid-40s set on Bluebird refered to by Uli.

And the Fargo set. I'm very cautious about this one, since it's only two discs yet costs 15 bucks *more* than the above mentioned set. And, if it's true that the fidelity on this set is less than great, the 45 euro price tag might be a bit too much.

Alas, I can only pick one of the above, since I have to pay the rent and eat this month.

All three of these meet my criteria, namely, the presence of one Johnny Hodges. The Olewnick-recommended "This One's For Blanton" does not meet this criteria.

Help me decide! I'm leaning towards Sisco's rec on a purely historical hunch (i.e. I don't own enough really early Jazz). But I can be convinced otherwise.

Alex
newly converted to ElingtoniaMania

[Brian Olewnick]

Well, excuuuse me, Mr. I-only-want-my-Ellington-with-Hodges! You're missing out on some of Duke's most amazing piano playing though...

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

One not yet mentioned that I enjoy is "Solos, Duets and Trios," which includes piano duets with Billy Strayhorn and Earl Hines, and several wonderful duets with Jimmy Blanton.

[Jim Sangrey]

Speaking of duets with Strayhorn, the ones on this album quite often provide a glimpse of things to come in the early work of Cecil Taylor.

[Gary Sisco]

Get the three CD set of the early stuff, Alex. I started listening to that stuff early 70s and listened to it *much* for a decade, and it's still the Duke I pull out most often from the shelves.

But, there is tons of great Duke Ellington out there. I had to call it quits, eventually, after I had a goodly pile.

The rec for the session with Hawkins is a good one, too. That's another classic.

[hearsay]

Alex please look into "Anatomy of a Murder", a brilliant extended work which was written as a film score. On it's own is much better than the movie.

Also, check out a rarer CD called "Masterpeices by Ellington", which has some totally amazing extended arrangements of "Mood Indigo", "Sophisticated Ladies", "Solitude" and "The Tatooed Bride". It's really awsome.

Those are my two favorite Ellingtons.

[Jay]

Hey Alex: I think that those Brunswick sides are wonderful. Once you hear these, you will want to track down the early OKeh sides (The OKeh Ellington from 1927) with the *great* bubber miley and the RCA stuff.

Just so that you know, the Definitive Records version is a bootleg rip off of another version, Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick and Vocallion Recordings. The original looks like this:

[moneyp]

Originally posted by Jay
Hey Alex: I think that those Brunswick sides are wonderful. Once you hear these, you will want to track down the early OKeh sides (The OKeh Ellington from 1927) with the *great* bubber miley and the RCA stuff.

Ripoff, my ass. I already have the RCA box, but the Definitive sets have superior audio and are cheaper. If RCA wants to compete, they should put out a better product at competitive prices.

[mjb]

Two of my favourites are "The OKeh Ellington" and "Piano in the Foreground."