Cleo Laine/Dankworth Ellington album

[Larry Kart]

Don't know if anyone has much tolerance for Cleo Laine, but figuring why the hell not? I picked up this 1994 album at a library sale today for $1:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000003FVO

and so far am very impressed by the charts -- by Dankworth and in one striking instance, by Stan Tracey -- and also by the performance of the Mercer-led Ellington orchestra.

[sidewinder]

Dankworth and Tracey's arranging are both very under-rated. Great craftsmanship in both cases. Check out the Dankworth albums originally on Fontana and reissued by Vocalion ('What The Dickens', 'The Zodiac Variations', '$1,000,000 Collection' etc.) and also the various Stan Tracey Big Brass albums (more difficult to get hold of on CD in most cases). Love the way in particular that Tracey writes for brass and its a shame that he didn't write much for bigger groups from the 1970s onwards.

There was a great TV broadcast of the Stan Tracey Big Brass back plus featured star soloists in around 1968/9 doing a Duke Ellington Tribute called 'We Love You Madly..' (the BBC re-broadcast it a few years ago). UK Columbia/Denis Preston also released an LP by the same line-up (although it was recorded separately at Lansdowne Studios and not at the BBC). The original BBC broadcast was notable for being the only known film in existence of Joe Harriott 'in action'.

Edited July 26, 2013 by sidewinder

[Head Man]

Dankworth and Tracey's arranging are both very under-rated. Great craftsmanship in both cases. Check out the Dankworth albums originally on Fontana and reissued by Vocalion ('What The Dickens', 'The Zodiac Variations', '$1,000,000 Collection' etc.) and also the various Stan Tracey Big Brass albums (more difficult to get hold of on CD in most cases). Love the way in particular that Tracey writes for brass and its a shame that he didn't write much for bigger groups from the 1970s onwards.

There was a great TV broadcast of the Stan Tracey Big Brass back plus featured star soloists in around 1968/9 doing a Duke Ellington Tribute called 'We Love You Madly..' (the BBC re-broadcast it a few years ago). UK Columbia/Denis Preston also released an LP by the same line-up (although it was recorded separately at Lansdowne Studios and not at the BBC). The original BBC broadcast was notable for being the only known film in existence of Joe Harriott 'in action'.

Any idea why this have never been re-issued on CD (I think), sidewinder? Much of his back catalogue is now available.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Head Man

[sgcim]

Dankworth did some good film scores, also.

The Cleo/Dankworth team produced some great music, until they started to do pop/rock BS in the 70s.

I still watch "All Night Long" every time it's on TV. Dankworth did all the writing for that film.

Cleo does a great job on her Sondheim LP, but I don't know if JD did the charts for it.

[sidewinder]

Head Man - Not sure but perhaps with it being a Lansdowne session the rights are owned by Universal Europe and maybe this one has complications with respect to ownership rights which are not applicable to 'Under Milk Wood Suite' etc and which allowed 'Re-Steamed' to reissue them. Personally, I would also love to see Tracey's 'The Latin American Caper' come out on CD - that one is pretty obscure.

Edited July 26, 2013 by sidewinder