*** The Duke Ellington Corner ***

[medjuck]

The great actor Vittorio Gassman in Hamlet's Monologue. On piano: the great Duke Ellington!

Filmed in Milan in January 1966:

Wow, that;s great. What's the song Duke's playing?

[Free For All]

It's Such Sweet Thunder, no?

[medjuck]

Ah, yes. Fitting.

[king ubu]

What do you all suggest I get next?

I would add The Great Paris Concert, my favorite of all of Ellington's latter-day live recordings, and one of my desert island Ellington discs.

Guess I got to re-evaluate that one, then... never really thought that one was out of the ordinary (which with Duke is fine enough!).

[jazzbo]

According to www.amazon.com and www.bestbuy.com there's a Sony Legacy box set coming out, Complete Duke Ellington '51 to '58. . . . A Drum is A Woman at last!

[Chuck Nessa]

It says "complete studio albums" - wonder what they do the fake Newport tracks and "Bal Masque"?

Now they have a chance to correct "Such Sweet Thunder" too.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Chuck Nessa

[jazzbo]

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm looking forward to it.

[alankin]

How many CDs would this be?

[Don Brown]

Yes, Chuck's right about Such Sweet Thunder. It really needs correcting. The last time it came out on CD in the U.S. Phil Schaap screwed up and used an alternate take of "Up and Down, Up and Down". His error cost us the original wonderful ending with Clark Terry's muted trumpet voicing Shakespeare's immortal line, "What fools these mortals be". Now, even the European bootleggers use Schaap's incorrect version when they rip off this album.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Don Brown

[king ubu]

complete studio albums - that would imply that all the material released later on some LP series is not included?

[jazzbo]

In general with these box sets, extra material on previously released cds have been included. So my guess is that they will incorporate studio bonus cuts as well. Like Chuck I'm interested to see if they include studio material that had masqueraded as live on the original releases. I'll give them big kudos if they do.

[Chuck Nessa]

Probably not much hope for "orphaned" material like the 1957 recording of The Perfume Suite.

Since one of the movements was recorded in 1961 they have an out.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Chuck Nessa

[jazzbo]

We'll see what happens. Their track record has been pretty good so far on these sets. Duke presents more of a problem. . .

[jazztrain]

There was an earlier cd reissue (French, I think) of the original album that I've kept since it has the aforementioned Clark Terry "What fools these mortals be" closing.

Yes, Chuck's right about Such Sweet Thunder. It really needs correcting. The last time it came out on CD in the U.S. Phil Schaap screwed up and used an alternate take of "Up and Down, Up and Down". His error cost us the original wonderful ending with Clark Terry's muted trumpet voicing Shakespeare's immortal line, "What fools these mortals be". Now, even the European bootleggers use Schaap's incorrect version when they rip off this album.

[Don Brown]

Jazztrain is correct. I have a copy of that French issue.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Don Brown

[medjuck]

The correct (mono) version was also on a compilation cd called "Ralph Ellison: Living With Music", which I suspect is now OOP. I've always thought Sony should at least make it avaialbe as a download considering the the liner notes of the Such Sweet Thunder cd make a big deal about it.

[John L]

There was an earlier cd reissue (French, I think) of the original album that I've kept since it has the aforementioned Clark Terry "What fools these mortals be" closing.

Yes, Chuck's right about Such Sweet Thunder. It really needs correcting. The last time it came out on CD in the U.S. Phil Schaap screwed up and used an alternate take of "Up and Down, Up and Down". His error cost us the original wonderful ending with Clark Terry's muted trumpet voicing Shakespeare's immortal line, "What fools these mortals be". Now, even the European bootleggers use Schaap's incorrect version when they rip off this album.

I sold my copy of the album after I bought Schaap's CD.

[Pete C]

I sold my copy of the album after I bought Schaap's CD.

I'd horsewhip Schaap if I had a horse.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Pete C

[ejp626]

The correct (mono) version was also on a compilation cd called "Ralph Ellison: Living With Music", which I suspect is now OOP. I've always thought Sony should at least make it avaialbe as a download considering the the liner notes of the Such Sweet Thunder cd make a big deal about it.

That's interesting. This is still being offered as a CD-R at Amazon -- and as individual downloads (though with our luck they would have upgraded this track to the Schaap version). I might pick up one of the used ones, though honestly I need to check tonight if I have SST on LP. I suspect I might.

I recall there was a similar issue with one of the tracks on Indigoes being different between the CD (at least the original release) and LP. Given that I have this material on CD or LP (and in the case of Indigoes -- and perhaps SST -- both CD and LP), I just can't see going for this set, even if there is decent remastering.

[king ubu]

I sold my copy of the album after I bought Schaap's CD.

I'd horsewhip Schaap if I had a horse.

But a horsewhip is much cheaper than a horse!

Didn't know about that screw up - damn!

[romualdo]

Found more details re the Ellington set

Go to Amazon (US)

Box Set Includes:

1. 1951 -- Masterpieces By Ellington

2. 1952 -- Ellington Uptown

3. 1956 -- Blue Rose w/ Rosemary Clooney

4. 1956 -- The Drum Is A Woman

5. 1957 -- Such Sweet Thunder

6. 1957 -- Ellington Indigos

7. 1958 -- Black, Brown And Beige w/ Mahalia Jackson

8. 1958 -- Duke Ellington At The Bal Masque

9. 1958 -- Duke Ellington's Spacemen: The Cosmic Scene

there's a pic of the box & individual discs/covers & open booklet -> if you zoom in on the booklet there are details re Ellington Indigos (the "Perfumed Suite" is included as a bonus on this disc)

This is looking good!!!

Don't think the following four have been previously released on CD - Blue Rose, Drum Is A Woman, Ellington Indigos (with Perfumed Suite), Bal Masque

[Chuck Nessa]

I have an official Blue Rose.

[Bill B]

Found more details re the Ellington set

Go to Amazon (US)

Box Set Includes:

1. 1951 -- Masterpieces By Ellington

2. 1952 -- Ellington Uptown

3. 1956 -- Blue Rose w/ Rosemary Clooney

4. 1956 -- The Drum Is A Woman

5. 1957 -- Such Sweet Thunder

6. 1957 -- Ellington Indigos

7. 1958 -- Black, Brown And Beige w/ Mahalia Jackson

8. 1958 -- Duke Ellington At The Bal Masque

9. 1958 -- Duke Ellington's Spacemen: The Cosmic Scene

there's a pic of the box & individual discs/covers & open booklet -> if you zoom in on the booklet there are details re Ellington Indigos (the "Perfumed Suite" is included as a bonus on this disc)

This is looking good!!!

Don't think the following four have been previously released on CD - Blue Rose, Drum Is A Woman, Ellington Indigos (with Perfumed Suite), Bal Masque

Bal Masque has not been released on CD.

[ejp626]

Bal Masque has not been released on CD.

Really? I have seen this: Collectables - Bal Masque

[romualdo]

OK, down to two now (Drum & Indigos)