Ellington-a-thon

[jazzbo]

Me three!

Decided it was a good time for a "Jazz Party."

Love Jimmy Rushing's contributions to this one. But it's ALL good.

[flat5]

I bought Jazz Party ~1962. Thought it was great and played the hell out of it :-)

[A Lark Ascending]

Returned by popular request:

Ellington-a-thon 15

• 
  
  
• Waltz You Saved For Me (The) 1963
  
• Javapachacha Apache 1962
  
• You Gave Me The Gate ( . . . And I’m Swinging)
  
• Black Beauty Firewater - A Portrait Of Florence Mills 1928
  
• Sponge Cake And Spinnach
  
• Chasin’ Chippies 1938
  
• Soul Train
  
• Passion Flower 1941
  
• Boudoir Benny 1939
  
• A Gatherin’ In A Clearin’ Hometown 1946
  

Let me know if I duplicate anything from before.

Only 1695 to go!

Updates roughly once a fortnight from now on. Plenty of time to listen, think, in some cases find!

Edited June 10, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[jeffcrom]

Yay!

[jeffcrom]

Glad the Ellington-a-thon is back. I'll try to restrain myself a little. Well, after tonight, anyway.

A Gatherin’ In A Clearin’ Hometown 1946

"Gathering in a Clearing" was apparently not a "keeper" in the Ellington book. It was recorded in July, 1946 for RCA; it showed up a few times on broadcast recordings later that summer, but disappeared after that. It's co-credited to Ellington and Cat Anderson, who is the featured soloist. Al Sears also has a few solo passages on tenor sax; he claimed that he should have also received a writing credit.

The piece is a slow-medium-tempo quasi-gospel number. There's very little harmonic motion until the bridge, which is still pretty simple - an "I Got Rhythm" bridge. Al Sear's opening licks remind me of Albert Ayler, as Sears often does when he's in his gospel mode. Anderson is playing with a plunger, rather than doing the high-note thing; he basically blows over almost the whole arrangement, except when Sears is playing. He's very effective, although sometimes I wish he would stop so that I can hear the details of the arrangement better.

The main melody is stated by the trombone section, supported by the saxes. The melody itself is not that interesting or memorable, but the sound of the trombone section is. I can't be sure, but it sounds like each of the three players is doing something different, mute-wise - maybe one plunger mute, one cup or felt mute, and one open horn. Or maybe it's one plunger and two cup mutes. In any case, it's an interesting sound; they blend, but you can still pick the individual voices.

And it couldn't have been easy to swing this hard at that tempo!

Not a masterpiece by Ellington standards, but there's still plenty of interesting stuff going on.

Edited May 29, 2012 by jeffcrom

[Ted O'Reilly]

Glad the Ellington-a-thon is back. I'll try to restrain myself a little. Well, after tonight, anyway.

A Gatherin’ In A Clearin’ Hometown 1946

"Gathering in a Clearing" was apparently not a "keeper" in the Ellington book. It was recorded in July, 1946 for RCA; it showed up a few times on broadcast recordings later that summer, but disappeared after that. It's co-credited to Ellington and Cat Anderson, who is the featured soloist.....

I always thought that it was Ray Nance who was the featured trumpet. But if Cat Anderson wrote it, it would make sense that he would solo. He was quite a chameleon as a stylist...

[jeffcrom]

Glad the Ellington-a-thon is back. I'll try to restrain myself a little. Well, after tonight, anyway.

A Gatherin’ In A Clearin’ Hometown 1946

"Gathering in a Clearing" was apparently not a "keeper" in the Ellington book. It was recorded in July, 1946 for RCA; it showed up a few times on broadcast recordings later that summer, but disappeared after that. It's co-credited to Ellington and Cat Anderson, who is the featured soloist.....

I always thought that it was Ray Nance who was the featured trumpet. But if Cat Anderson wrote it, it would make sense that he would solo. He was quite a chameleon as a stylist...

Aurally, I never would have thought it was Cat. But not only did he co-write it, both the Black, Brown & Beige and Centennial Edition box set notes identify him as the soloist. And he made the only other recording of the tune that I'm aware of, on an album in the 1960's - I haven't heard it.

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 15

• Waltz You Saved For Me (The) 1963
  

I'm really grateful to you for including this one in Ellington-a-thon #15, because it took me back to the 1963 Reprise album Will Big Bands Ever Come Back? I had forgotten, or never noticed, how wonderful this album is. On the surface, it seems like kind of a pointless idea - Ellington playing other big bands' hits. But of course, it's Ellington, and he takes most of these pieces to very different places than you'd expect.

"The Waltz You Saved For Me," Wayne King's theme song, gets a striking transformation into Ellingtonia. First of all, it's in 4/4 rather than in waltz time, and from the first notes, it sounds like Ellington. The melody is presented very simply by two saxophones in harmony. Except that it ain't that simple - even here Ellington is not content to do what any other arranger would do. Harry Carney's baritone takes the melody, with Paul Gonsalves' tenor scored below the bari. It's an unusual sound, and it works wonderfully. Under, or beside, the theme statement, open trombones and plunger-muted trumpets provide fascinating commentary.

Jimmy Hamilton and Cootie Williams have solos (Cootie's rude-sounding entrance is something of a shock), and Sam Woodyard swings hard, if not subtly. And Johnny Hodges and Russell Procope were, I imagine, at the bar - there aren't any alto sax parts in this arrangement that I can hear.

Simple, kind of brilliant, and very Ellingtonian.

[jeffcrom]

Black Beauty Firewater - A Portrait Of Florence Mills 1928

Well, since no one else has jumped in:

The main theme of "Black Beauty" is a really gorgeous melody - one of my favorites by Ellington. It's full of wide intervals, with a touch of blues flavor. Ellington first recorded it for Brunswick in March, 1928, and for Victor a few days later. A solo piano version for Okeh came a few months later.

The Brunswick record opens with Artie Whetsel, Ellington's "sweet" trumpeter at the time, playing the main theme, with fellow trumpeter Louis Metcalf taking the bridge. There's a contrasting B theme featuring trombonist Joe Nanton, then Ellington plays a full-chorus solo based on the main theme. Barney Bigard's solos on the theme in the last chorus, staying close to the melody, until the last eight bars, when Whetsel again takes over.

The Victor recording is pretty similar. Nanton's trombone takes the bridge of the first chorus, and Ellington takes advantage of Victor's excellent recording techniques to feature bassist Wellman Braud; the piano solo has become a dialogue between Ellington and Braud.

The Okeh piano solo builds really nicely. It puts a little more emphasis on the B theme - Ellington states that theme, then improvises on it. This is the only version I've heard in which the B theme is more than a brief contrasting section.

"Black Beauty" showed up again in the 1940s. At the January, 1943 Carnegie Hall concert, the theme is stated beautifully by Shorty Baker on trumpet. It's much slower, and the slow tempo seems to fit the melody better. The tempo picks up for the B theme, which now pits the trumpets, trombones, and saxes against each other. Ellington has an unaccompanied solo which is even faster, then there's a brief recap of the theme, again featuring Baker.

Ellington recorded a new arrangement for Victor in 1945. Lawrence Brown is now playing the first theme on trombone; there's a brief unnacompanied piano solo (again at a faster tempo), and short solos by Harry Carney on bass clarinet and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. The B theme has been modified a little - it's leaner and more modern sounding. The saxophone voicings behind Brown's theme statement and the brass voicings behind Carney and Hamilton are really wonderful.

Ellington returned to "Black Beauty" one more time, on the excellent 1960 Unknown Session septet album. Ellington, Ray Nance, and Lawrence Brown are the soloists, and the tempo is just perfect - a relaxed medium-slow pace.

Thanks for prompting me to listen to all these versions back to back.

[A Lark Ascending]

Thanks for your comments, Jeff. I've just been listening to the last three you mentioned - there is no way I'd ever have noticed what you have to say about the voicings. 'Harry Carney's baritone takes the melody, with Paul Gonsalves' tenor scored below the bari. It's an unusual sound, and it works wonderfully.' I love having things like that pointed out.

'A Gatherin’ In A Clearin' Hometown' seems to have the ghost of 'I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart' about it. And 'Black Beauty' is just a pearl.

Passion Flower 1941

Surprised this hasn't got more attention. I know it best from the version on the Ellington/Rosemary Clooney disc 'Blue Rose' where Hodges does this gorgeous downward glissando thing. I've had this record for over 30 years - I think it might have been one of the first to really make be hear JH.

The original 1941 seems to have a much less florid intro and the glissando descent is less pronounced but there's still that gliding between the notes.

I really like this track...has me thinking of a night time Whistler painting. I know there was some comparison between Ellington and Delius in the 30s - this piece seems to inhabit that sort of impressionism.

I love the track but it seems others don't:

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/3/16/duke-ellington-passion-flower

Edited June 11, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Ellington-a-thon 16

• 
  
  
• Parlor Social De Luxe 1924
  
• Black And Tan Fantasy 1927
  
• Arabian Lover 1929
  
• Double Check Stomp 1930
  
• I’m Satisfied 1933
  
• Harmony In Harlem - Have Some 1937
  
• Sidewalks Of New York (The) - East Side, West Side 1940
  
• Irresistable You 1944
  
• TATTOOED BRIDE (The) 1948
  
• Kinda Dukish - Entertainment Industry 1953
  
• Fontainbleau Forest 1961
  
• Black Swan 1969
  
  Three with no dates on my list:
  
  
• Rhapsoditti - Mellow Ditty
  
• Smoke Rings
  
• Trees
  

Edited June 17, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[flat5]

Speaking of the first recording of "Passion Flower," performed by an Ellington small group.

"I love the track but it seems others don't"

WHAT! Impossible. The small group version can not be improved upon.

If someone does not think this is great I don't want to know them or their clan.

If you hate the saxophone it might be possible to not like this.

Hope I'm not out of line.

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 16

• TATTOOED BRIDE (The) 1948

Well, well - I was searching for something else last night, and came across my old friend. I somehow missed this last post by Bev. I can see how this thread might come and go at various times, but I hope it never dies.

I just listened to the studio recording of "The Tattooed Bride," from the Masterpieces by Ellington album a couple of days ago. That's the definitive version, but Ellington must have known that he had come up with something pretty good - after the piece was debuted at Carnegie Hal in November, 1948, he played it frequently in concerts over the next few years. Without actually looking, I think I have four live recordings of "The Tattooed Bride" from the late 1940s and early 1950s in my Ellington collection.

In my opinion, this is one of Ellington's very best longer pieces. The length is perfect - around twelve minutes - and it's beautifully constructed. Unlike some of Ellington's more episodic extended works (like Black, Brown and Beige), you couldn't take anything out of "The Tattooed Bride" without destroying it. Almost all the material is based on a little four-note motive, but not in a forced or mechanical way - it all flows naturally, tempo changes and all. Jimmy Hamilton (on clarinet) is the only soloist, and his style fits the piece as well as the piece fits his style. (That statement may seem silly, but sometimes there's an uncomfortable tension between soloist and material on Ellington tunes when Hamilton is featured - think "Happy-Go-Lucky Local.")

"Tattooed Bride" is supposedly programmatic - the story of a young man who only discovers that his bride is tattooed on their wedding night. That's kind of amusing, but I wonder at what point in the compositional process Ellington came up with the story. In any case, it's not really essential, or even important, for the enjoyment of one of Ellington's very best compositions.

[JETman]

Probably composed shortly after bidding "adieu" to a tattooed young lady as she left his hotel room.

[jeffcrom]

I just read through the last few pages of this thread, and saw that "The Tattooed Bride" was included in Ellington-a-thon 11, and I talked about it there, too. Oh, well - I liked it then, and still like it.

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 14

• Clementine - 1941

My comments are based on late-night listening to a Canadian HMV/Victor 78 which I got in Vancouver a couple of years ago. It came in a sleeve from Thompson & Page, "The Store That Service Built." The young man at the record store was surprised that I had never heard of that Vancouver department store, even though I live 1800 miles away.

This "Clementine" is not the American folk song or the pop song recorded by the Jean Goldkette band with Bix Beiderbecke; it's a bouncy little Billy Strayhorn number. To me, except for the nice Rex Stewart solo, it's mostly about Ellington's reed sonorities. After Ellington's piano introduction, the riffy melody is stated by, what - one clarinet and four saxophones, or two clarinets and three saxophones? I'm not sure, but I lean toward the latter; when unison saxes play the bridge, I don't hear Harry Carney's sound - I think it's Hardwick, Hodges, and Webster, with Bigard and Carney holding their clarinets, ready to come in again once the bridge is over. I can't be sure, but you can seldom be sure with Ellington or Strayhorn.

Johnny Hodges gets most of the second chorus (more wonderful reed sound!); his solo is based on a new chord progression, not that of the first chorus. It's a variation on something that hasn't happened yet, and doesn't happen during this piece. The contrast works, though. Stewart gets the third chorus, which is based on the opening theme. Then the reeds, in whatever combination they're really in, reprise the first sixteen measures of the first chorus.

This is why I love the "Ellington-a-thon" - I had never listened to "Clementine" so carefully before, and there's more there than I had noticed before. It's not one of Strayhorn's masterpieces, but it still presents a lot to consider and enjoy.

[A Lark Ascending]

Quite happy to keep this going, Jeff. The only reason for lack of updates was that it didn't seem to be getting much interest.

Worth maintaining for your comments. I'll give 'Clementine' a listen myself later in the light of what you have written - I've always loved that tune.

Apologies for the repeats - this will happen occasionally - hard to keep tabs on such a vast catalogue.

[Clunky]

I loved this thread , I'll try to contribute more, ... Now to see if I can find "Clementine"

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 16

• Trees

As far as I can tell, there are only three recordings of Ellington doing "Trees," all live recordings from the end of 1948. And since I just listened to the first one, from the November, 1948 Carnegie Hall concert:

"Trees" is a very bad song by Oscar Rasbach, based on the inane Joyce Kilmer poem. But in Ellington's version, it's sung by Al Hibbler. And Al Hibbler is cool. I'd rather hear him sing "My Little Brown Book" or "I'm Just a Lucky So and So," but I'm willing to listen to Al Hibbler sing "Trees." Or the phone book.

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 16

• Parlor Social De Luxe 1924

This was recorded as "Parlor Social Stomp" for the related Perfect/Pathe labels in early 1926, so it precedes the November, 1926 Vocalion recording date that produced "East St. Louis Toodle-O" and "Birmingham Breakdown." That's the point at which Ellington started sounding like Ellington. Of the Ellington sides before that, the two most interesting are, not surprisingly, the two composed by Ellington - "Choo Choo" and "Parlor Social Stomp." They don't really sound like later Ellington, but there are hints that an interesting musical mind is behind them.

Right off the bat, "Parlor Social Stomp has an odd little introduction - six bars long instead of the more normal four or eight. As a matter of fact, it's a little too tricky for the band, who is pretty sloppy on the intro. They get themselves together for the rest of the piece, which swings hard in a 1926, East Coast, ragtimey kind of way.

Ellington has arranged his piece with plenty of variety - the colors and textures are constantly changing, and there are lots of breaks, by solo and multiple instruments. Some of the breaks are pretty wacky, harmonically. Ellington has augmented his band and made some substitutions for recording purposes; Don Redman is on hand, and Bubber Miley is not - the obscure Harry Cooper and Leroy Rutledge are on trumpet. It sounds to me as if Redman, not Otto Hardwick, takes the alto solo at 1:56. He might also be the clarinet soloist. And I think the two trumpet solos (at 1:38 are 2:13) are not by the same player; the first solo is stronger, although it's mostly a paraphrase of the second strain melody.

This record is not a masterpiece, but it's pretty interesting for its time, and there are hints of later greatness here.

Edited April 5, 2013 by jeffcrom

[A Lark Ascending]

Ellington-a-thon 17 (April 6th, 2013)

A fresh set. As always, let me know if I've duplicated earlier ones:

• Rainy Nights Rainy Days 1924
• Jubilee Stomp 1928
• Cotton Club Stomp # 1930
• Raisin’ The Rent 1933
• REMINISCING IN TEMPO 1935
• I’ve Got To Be A Rug Cutter 1937
• Jitterbug’s Lullaby 1938
• Lonely Co-Ed 1939
• Harlem Air Shaft 1940
• I Didn’t Know About You 1942
• I Don’t Want Nobody But You 1943
• Frustration 1944
• Night Walk 1951
• Ballet Of The Flying Saucers 1956
• ASPHALT JUNGLE SUITE 1. Wild Car 2. Cops 3. Robbers 1963

And some odd ones that I don't have dates for:

• Santa Claus, Bring My Man Back To Me
• Show Me
• Gone But Not Forgotten
• Woods
• Who Said “It’s Tight Like This”?

Edited April 6, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 17 (April 6th, 2013)

A fresh set. As always, let me know if I've duplicated earlier ones:

• Harlem Air Shaft 1940

"Harlem Air Shaft" has long been one of my favorite Ellington pieces. I wrote one of my infrequent blog posts about it - here.

For those who don't want to read the long version: I love this piece for the way Ellington messes with the big band riff tune conventions of the time. That delicious trumpet riff in the first chorus is combined with a long-lined saxophone melody rather than a contrasting riff, for instance. And the introduction of "Harlem Air Shaft" is a mini-overture - it condenses the entire piece into twelve measures. It's kinda brilliant.

[JSngry]

Did somebody say "Harlem Air Shaft" and "brilliant"? Yes, absolutley!

Maybe just one or two kindz of "wrong", but all kinds of RIGHT!

[A Lark Ascending]

Ellington-a-thon 17 (April 6th, 2013)

A fresh set. As always, let me know if I've duplicated earlier ones:

• Harlem Air Shaft 1940

"Harlem Air Shaft" has long been one of my favorite Ellington pieces. I wrote one of my infrequent blog posts about it - here.

For those who don't want to read the long version: I love this piece for the way Ellington messes with the big band riff tune conventions of the time. That delicious trumpet riff in the first chorus is combined with a long-lined saxophone melody rather than a contrasting riff, for instance. And the introduction of "Harlem Air Shaft" is a mini-overture - it condenses the entire piece into twelve measures. It's kinda brilliant.

Just listened to Harlem Air Shaft alongside your blog analysis, Jeff. Fascinating - I know I've said it before but you could put your descriptions in print. They don't require any technical knowledge - just help the non-musician focus on what's going on.

[jeffcrom]

Ellington-a-thon 16

• Black Swan 1969

I know that Bev has gone on to installment 17, but there's plenty of interesting items left in #16.

"Black Swan" was played during Ellington's 1969 European tour as an encore, and presumably as a chance for most of the brass and reed players to rest. The only issued version I'm aware of is from the Manchester concert that provides the bulk of the 70th Birthday Concert album.

It's an interesting tune - Latin-rhythmed and utilizing an attractive, unusual chord progression. The Manchester version is played by a quintet - Ellington, Wild Bill Davis on organ, Norris Turney on flute, bassist Victor Gaskin, and Rufus Jones on drums. Everyone except Ellington gets solos; Turney's flute is particularly impressive, as is the drum solo - Jones concentrates on the cymbals and makes frequent references to the melody, a la Max Roach.

"Black Swan" is a good one - I would have liked to hear a full-band version by Ellington.