27 Choruses
As I was saying in the previous entry, one could easily spend a year studying the work of Duke Ellington. My old jazz teacher Grover Sales used to shout at us: "One day, major universities will offer courses in Early, Middle and Late Ellington!"
Even though my Ellington collection numbers in the double digits, it's as if I own a mere smattering of his recordings. Which is true, actually.
Today's Ellington listening demonstrates the range of the man's music: Great Times!-- a collection of Duke's piano duets with longtime collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, and Ellington at Newport.
The Great Times! record is a fascinating because it's often difficult to separate which is Strayhorn and which is Ellington taking the solo--although at some points there's no mistaking Duke's rich splashy chords (wha?).
The Ellington at Newport (from 1956) record is famous of course for the incredible 27 chorus tenor sax solo that Paul Gonsalves plays on Diminuendo and Crescendo Blues. It's such an exciting solo, with the crowd getting into it and the band urging Gonsalves on, that I always get a little teary-eyed listening to it. I sure am becoming a sap in my old age. Anyway, there's also some other neat stuff on this record: Johnny Hodges' classy feature piece on Jeep's Blues (this performance actually closed out the Ellington band's set, but it's resequenced on the record so that the famous Gonsalves solo concludes the disc). Also, other great soloists such as Clark Terry and Cat Anderson are featured on some of the other numbers. And the sound is fantastic. This was the Duke Ellington "comeback" performance/album that kept his career on top for another twenty years.
On the portable CD player I listened to The Clash's London Calling. It's in my personal Top Ten album/song list. I remember when these guys performed songs from the album on the old late night comedy show Fridays. The band was tricked out in black leather, looking cool and greasy. They rushed through the songs sloppy, urgent, singing off-key. My friends were not impressed. "That band you like, The Clash? They suck!" Because they didn't sound like Boston, I guess.
Even though my Ellington collection numbers in the double digits, it's as if I own a mere smattering of his recordings. Which is true, actually.
Today's Ellington listening demonstrates the range of the man's music: Great Times!-- a collection of Duke's piano duets with longtime collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, and Ellington at Newport.
The Great Times! record is a fascinating because it's often difficult to separate which is Strayhorn and which is Ellington taking the solo--although at some points there's no mistaking Duke's rich splashy chords (wha?).
The Ellington at Newport (from 1956) record is famous of course for the incredible 27 chorus tenor sax solo that Paul Gonsalves plays on Diminuendo and Crescendo Blues. It's such an exciting solo, with the crowd getting into it and the band urging Gonsalves on, that I always get a little teary-eyed listening to it. I sure am becoming a sap in my old age. Anyway, there's also some other neat stuff on this record: Johnny Hodges' classy feature piece on Jeep's Blues (this performance actually closed out the Ellington band's set, but it's resequenced on the record so that the famous Gonsalves solo concludes the disc). Also, other great soloists such as Clark Terry and Cat Anderson are featured on some of the other numbers. And the sound is fantastic. This was the Duke Ellington "comeback" performance/album that kept his career on top for another twenty years.
On the portable CD player I listened to The Clash's London Calling. It's in my personal Top Ten album/song list. I remember when these guys performed songs from the album on the old late night comedy show Fridays. The band was tricked out in black leather, looking cool and greasy. They rushed through the songs sloppy, urgent, singing off-key. My friends were not impressed. "That band you like, The Clash? They suck!" Because they didn't sound like Boston, I guess.
posted by ken at 2:58 PM
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