Verzameling van live-registraties uit 1969. Duke Ellington en zijn big band toerden toen door Europa met organist Wild Bill Davis als speciale gast. Hij bleef bijna twee jaar bij het orkest hangen. Ondanks problemen door personeelswisselingen in de blazerssectie klonk de band, mede door de enthousiaste ontvangst van het Europese publiek, verrassend goed. Een mooie toevoeging aan de verzameling van de liefhebbers van the Duke. (GR Muziekbank)
"In 1963, singer Sathima Bea Benjamin persuaded Duke Ellington to see her future husband, Abdullah Ibrahim, play in a club in Europe. Ellington was impressed by both of the recent South African émigrés and arranged with Reprise to record them. While Brand's record came out within a year, Benjamin's debut was lost and not heard for decades. As it turned out, engineer Gerhard Lehner had made a second copy and kept it for all of these years, so the initial 1997 release of this important session was possible. Backed by pianist Ibrahim, bassist Johnny Gertze, drummer Makaya Ntshoko, and (on two songs a piece) Duke Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, and occasionally joined by violinist Svend Asmussen (who here plays exclusively pizzicato, as if he were using a high-pitched guitar), Benjamin's voice sounds quite beautiful. She performs two Ellington tunes, Strayhorn's "Your Love Has Faded," and nine standards, with the emphasis on slow ballads. The moody music is often haunting and quite memorable." (Allmusic)
18 jaar na het bewuste concert voor het eerst uitgebracht. Met zowel Duke's orkest als Ella's vaste trio als begeleiders.
"This 1957 effort is distinguished from Fitzgerald's other songbooks in that it is the only album in which the composer whose work she is singing actively participates. In fact, these recordings are packed with some of the key figures in jazz. Ellington's arranger/composer Billy Strayhorn, guest musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson, and brilliant record producer Norman Granz all have a hand in the proceedings. And what better backing band could one want than Duke's orchestra? The usual suspects, like Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney contribute fine performances throughout. Duke's spectacular catalog dazzles, and his sprightly, lush textures are transfigured under Ella's warm-timbred voice and elegant, precise delivery. Included here are classics like "Rockin' in Rhythm," "Caravan," "Satin Doll," "Sophisticated Lady," "Prelude to a Kiss," and "It Don't Mean a Thing...," each tune as familiar as it is delightful to hear in this new context." (Allmusic; 4,5 uit 5 sterren)
Dubbel-DVD in de serie 'Norman Granz presents...'. De beroemde concertpromotor leidt beide DVD's ook zelf in. Op DVD1 volgt daarna ook nog een inleiding door Ellington zelf. Dit is vermengd met beelden van Ellington die een kunsttentoonstelling bezoekt in dezelfde regio (Antibes-Juan Les Pins) als waar het jazzfestival plaatsvond waar dit concert is opgenomen. Het concert, uit 1966, is deels een instrumentale bigband-aangelegenheid met vlammende soli van vooral altsaxofonist Johnny Hodges. Het andere deel is met gastzangeres Ella Fitzgerald in topvorm. De tweede DVD is een opname van de laatste sessie, uit 1973, voor Duke's dood (in 1974). Het is een ontspannen studio-jam met gitarist Jim Hall, bassist Ray Brown, en drummer Louie Bellson. Je ziet steeds een opname van een jam, die vervolgens door de heren wordt teruggeluisterd, waarbij de camera doordraait. Niet altijd even enerverend, maar het is wel zeer interessant deze musici zo bezig te zien en horen. Toegevoegd is een interview met Ray Brown.
"Although their paths had crossed from time to time over the years, nobody had ever managed to get Armstrong and Ellington into a recording studio to make an album together. On April 3, 1961, producer Bob Thiele achieved what should be regarded as one of his greatest accomplishments; he organized and supervised a 7½-hour session at RCA Victor's Studio One in Manhattan, using a sextet combining Duke Ellington with Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars. This group included ex-Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard, ex-Jimmie Lunceford swing-to-bop trombonist Trummy Young, bassist Mort Herbert, and drummer Danny Barcelona. A second session took place during the afternoon of the following day. The music resulting from Thiele's inspired experiment is outstanding and utterly essential. That means everybody ought to hear this album at least once, and many will want to hear it again and again all the way through, for this is one of the most intriguing confluences in all of recorded jazz." (Allmusic; 5 uit 5 sterren)
"Topping off a wealth of full-band recordings, the various stars of Ellington's great outfit recorded many combo sides under their own names. And while not on the same sophisticated level of classic Ellingtonia, the late-'30s material cut by Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, and Rex Stewart is packed with tasty solo work and some of the finest examples of early small-group swing. These later examples from 1958-1959 feature Hodges backed by both Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano and such non-Duke luminaries as Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Jo Jones. Like its companion album, Back to Back, Side by Side has a loose, jam session feel, with all the soloists stretching out. Hodges is in top form throughout, while Edison and Webster man their spots just fine. Highlights include the sveltely swinging "Going Up" and Hodges' bluesy closer, "You Need to Rock." A must for fans of vintage combo swing." (Stephen Cook, Allmusic)
""Love You Madly" is a glowing profile of Duke on a 1965 tour. Made by jazz-crit Ralph Gleason, it avoids the talking head clichés and captures the master at times of rest and reflection. Napping backstage with a hot towel on his face, asking Ralph if he should snore in tune, chatting idly in the car, and joking in a hotel room, it offers a warm and generous sketch of a man burnishing his legend. "A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral" is glimpsed briefly in "Love You Madly", but is contained in full on the second program. Aside from a brief introduction, it is all performance. Duke's concert was one of many celebrating the completion of Grace Cathedral in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco. It is an attempt to combine the sacred and the profane, hymns and swing, and sometimes the seams show through. The finale, "David Danced Before the Lord," has a tap solo by the 'most super levianthonic, rhythmaturgically syncopated tapstaticianimist' Bunny Briggs." (R. Emmet Sweeney, AllAboutJazz)
Maakt deel uit van de Aangenaam Klassiek Campagne 2013: "The Harmonie Ensemble New York blinkt uit in bijzondere fusies tussen jazz en klassiek. Zo bracht het gezelschap eerder de jazzbewerkingen van Ferdie Grofé uit van orkestwerken van Gershwin. Nu gaat het ensemble nog een stap verder en herwaardeert het de bewerking die Duke Ellington en Billy Strayhorn maakten van Tchaikovskys Notenkraker Suite. Klassiek in een strak jazzpak, maar zo swingend en smaakvol gedaan, dat stilzitten onmogelijk is. Beleef Tchaikovskys beroemde noten in een heel nieuw licht." Reviving the art of 'swinging the classics', Steven Richman and the Harmonie Ensemble/New York present two different versions of the beloved 'Nutcracker' Suite side-by-side on the same album for the first time: the Tchaikovsky original of 1892, followed by the 1960 jazz remake masterminded by the American dream team of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Compare and contrast! (bron: Harmonia Mundi)
"... 45 U.S. Treasury programs of Ellington's that were broadcast through the Armed Forces Radio Service. Recorded live from a variety of locales, starting with the first broadcast on April 7, 1945, from New York's 400 Restaurant to the last from the Lincoln Theater in Los Angeles on August 31, 1946. All were aired over the ABC radio broadcasting system. The 1944-1945 Ellington band was not the same as the earlier 1940's Webster-Blanton aggregation. ... Nevertheless, the group heard here was one of Ellington's best and most productive with many visits to the recording studios as well as concerts and other gigs. Harry Carney continued as the band's anchor. Johnny Hodges and Lawrence Brown were still on board and high note specialist trumpeter Cat Anderson and fine clarinet player Jimmy Hamilton had signed on. Sonny Greer still was in the chair behind his massive drum set." (Allmusic)
Albums uit de tijd dat Ellington onder contract stond bij Capitol Records. "Capitol did not allow Ellington to do much more than pop-oriented singles and recover old ground. That may be true, and the original marketing campaign behind this album ("Old tunes, new treatments for your listening and dancing pleasure") only seemed to back up this perception. There were no recordings of experimental, long-form pieces, which Columbia had occasionally allowed, but Ellington's pop numbers were extended out to five and six minutes each, to allow for multiple solos. It's hard to complain about the recording though." (Allmusic over "Ellington '55" - een tekst die ook toepasbaar is op de twee andere albums op deze compilatie) Een bonus wordt gevormd door liefst 13 tracks uit 1953.
Albumpick op Allmusic: "This CD documents a historic occasion. Although Coleman Hawkins had been an admirer of Duke Ellington's music for at least 35 years at this point and Ellington had suggested they record together at least 20 years prior to their actual meeting in 1962, this was their first (and only) meeting on record. Although it would have been preferable to hear the great tenor performing with the full orchestra, his meeting with Ellington and an all-star group taken out of the big band does feature such greats as Ray Nance (on cornet and violin), trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Johnny Hodges, and baritonist Harry Carney. High points include an exuberant "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," an interesting remake of "Mood Indigo," and a few new Ellington pieces. This delightful music is recommended in one form or another." (Scott Yanow, Allmusic)
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