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Dancing with the Duke: Ellington's Live Dance Albums (Jazz Profiles) By Steve Siegel


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The general public's modernist view of the Duke Ellington Orchestra was greatly formed at Newport in 1956 with Paul Gonsalves’ 27 choruses and Elaine Anderson's flying blonde hair and little black dress convincing many that if Ellington's music was cool enough for the “jet set" then it was cool enough for them. With Newport as the catalyst, a reexamination of Ellington’s work began in academia as well as within the world of jazz criticism. As Ellington’s musical stature increased, it opened new venues for his orchestra to appear—many where few Afro-American jazz contingents had ever had access to. In the coming years it meant appearing less at high school auditoriums, American Legion halls and county fairs and more often at jazz festivals, places of worship, concert halls and clubs...

https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2024/07/dancing-with-duke-ellingtons-live-dance.html?m=1

Edited by Elmo
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even if the author of that article doesn't have them, he, and we, would be remiss not to mention all the unissued recorded duke dance dates listed at tdwaw (the duke where and when),  and at https://ellingtonia.com/discography/

the 68-73 is where it's all happening. notice that it's almost entirely u.s. shows.

a couple of the very early shows listed here, are (or used to be) available for members at https://ellingtongalaxy.org/

 

 

 

albuquerque, nm  (dance date)

3/22/1953

 

seattle  (dance date)

5/1/1954

 

mentor, mn  (dance date)

Jun-54

 

portland  (dance date)

11/13/1954

 

portland  (dance date)

6/11/1955

 

chicago  (dance date)

11/10/1957

 

sacramento  (dance date, complete)

3/5/1958

 

chicago  (dance date)

8/20/1961

 

houston  (dance date)

9/7/1961

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

3/31/1963

 

wiesbaden, ger.  (dance date)

5/25/1963

 

atlantic city, nj  (dance date, issued on bootleg)

Jul-64

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

12/13/1964

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

4/24/1966

 

norwalk, ca  (dance date)

6/2/1966

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)  

3/11/1967

 

merrick, ny  (dance date)

9/16/1967

 

glen burnie, md.  (dance date)

1/25/1968

 

baltimore  (dance date)

1/27/1968

 

glen burnie, md.  (dance date)

1/30/1968

 

hayward, wi.  (dance date)

7/11/1968

 

atlantic city, nj  (dance date)

8/19/1968

 

union city, nj  (dance date)

10/14/1968

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

1/20/1969

 

annapolis, md.  (dance date)

5/30/1969

 

atlantic city, nj  (dance date)

7/21/1969

 

chicago  (prob. dance date)  

3/25/1970

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

2/14/1971

 

newark, nj  (dance date)

4/12/1971

 

paramus, nj  (dance date)

6/18/1971

 

atlantic city, nj  (dance date)

7/27/1971

 

portland  (dance date)

2/21/1972

 

berkeley  (dance date)

2/25/1972

 

wayne, pa  (dance date)

4/14/1972

 

newton square, pa  (dance date)

4/19/1972

 

fenton, mo.  (dance date)

5/9/1972

 

east meadow, nj.  (dance date)

8/27/1972

 

baltimore  (dance date)

12/17/1972

 

kenosha, wi.  (dance date)

5/11/1973

 

erie, pa  (dance date)

7/21/1973

 

reading, pa  (dance date)

8/3/1973

 

washington d.c.  (dance date)

8/25/1973

 

wayne, pa  (dance date)

9/20/1973

     
     
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video

65 01 12               CHICAGO  UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

ND6502 "BigBandSounds"

 

duke discographies don't consider this to be a dance date. something to do with it all being 'staged' for the tv program.

 

the only dance date video footage is like 30 seconds from erie, pa. 1973, from an obscure french documentary.

 

 

Edited by l p
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in a sense, the dancers were pretty much just extras in a tv show. 

none of the discographies refer to this as a dance date. i tried to argue the point myself, at one time. but the discographies are correct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'd not try to argue one way or another, but it was a TV dance show, not a TV concert show. Past that, any quibbles are not mine 

Maybe it's no longer obvious, but there used to be a segment of the public for whom "big band" and "dance band" we synonymous. This show (a series, actually) is a tangible reminder of that. Like Lawrence Welk's show without the staged numbers.

I've got a few episodes on VHS, and it's interesting that Duke made very few accomodations to the dancers. They tried, and on something like Tutti they had it, but a lot of the other tubes were like, ok,I guess we'll just stand here and listen. He was the only one to play it like that.

This shows should have been more available than the have been. I wonder what the block has been.

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29 minutes ago, JSngry said:

It has "The Sky Fell Down", which got lost from the stereo version for years.

It's a gorgeous piece.

Yes, that's on my mono copy.  But isn't there at least one track that uses different takes between the mono and stereo?  I want to say "Solitude," but I may be wrong.  

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32 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Yes, that's on my mono copy.  But isn't there at least one track that uses different takes between the mono and stereo?  I want to say "Solitude," but I may be wrong.  

The stereo versions of "Mood Indigo" and "Willow Weep for Me" are different from their mono counterparts. "The Sky Fell Down" was originally only on the mono, not the stereo, LP.

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12 hours ago, Teasing the Korean said:

Are certain of his studio albums considered "dance albums?"  I'm thinking Bal Masque, at least.

The tune programming alone of his "Ellington 55" album on Capitol would make this a "dance album" IMO. I find the "Ellington touch" given to these relatively atypical tunes rather interesting. 

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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As I watched that vid of the James band with Buddy Rich, it struck me once again what a great trumpeter Harry James was. He had such great power and range. A box set of all of James's recordings with Rich (for Capitol and Verve, I think) would make for a great listen.

 

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