CD1
1. Jubilee Stomp
2. Move Over
3. Mississippi Moan
4. The Lazy Duke
5. Blues of the Vagabond
6. Syncopated Shuffle
7. The Mooche
8. East St Louis Toodle-O
9. Sweet Mama
10. Hot and Bothered
11. Black and Tan Fantasy
12. Rocky Mountain Blues
13. Old Man Blues
14. Lot o’ Fingers (Fast and Furious)
15. Slippery Horn
16. Indigo Echoes
17. Caravan
18. Stompy Jones
19. Downtown Uproar
20. Lament for a Lost Love
21. Jazz à la Carte
22. Moonlight Fiesta
23. Sponge Cake and Spinach
24. Swing Baby, Swing
25. Jubilesta
26. Pigeons and Peppers
CD2
1. Portrait of a Lion
2. My Sunday Gal
3. Lament for Javanette
4. Dear Old Southland
5. The Giddy-bug Gallop
6. Clementine
7. Subtle Slough
8. Perdido
9. Jumping Room Only
10. Tonk
11. The Clothed Woman
12. Snibor
13. The New Piano Roll Blues
14. Later
15. Primpin’ at the Prom
16. Satin Doll
17. Orson
18. Blossom
19. B-sharp Blues
20. Passion Flower
21. Dancers in Love
22. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
23. Janet
24. Band Call
25. Harlem Air-Shaft
26. Serious Serenade
CD3
1. Rubber Bottom
2. Prelude to a Kiss
3. Such Sweet Thunder
4. Bli-blip
5. Mood Indigo,
6. Solitude
7. 23rd Psalm
8. Blues in Orbit
9. Villes Ville is the Place, Man
10. C-Jam Blues
11. In a Mellow Tone
12. It Don’t Mean a Thing
13. Main Stem
14. Black Beauty
15. Tonight I Shall Sleep
16. Fontainebleau Forest
17. A Hundred Dreams Ago
18. Drop Me Off in Harlem
19. Take the “A” Train
20. Paris Blues
21. Warm Valley
22. In a Sentimental Mood
This is another triple album in the “Jazz Characters” series. It follows the career of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1928 (when it was an eleven-piece
ensemble) to 1962. In fact this leaves out nearly the first four years of the band’s existence, when it began as the Washingtonians. And it also omits the
last dozen years of the orchestra, as the Duke continued recording almost up to his death in 1974.
Nevertheless, this is a fascinating survey of possibly the most important group in the history of jazz. The earliest tracks show that Ellington already had
a talent for choosing musicians of individuality and invention. Thus Jubilee Stomp boasts such distinct voices as the trumpet of Bubber Miley, the
trombone of Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, and the drums of Sonny Greer. And there is also the unique sound of Duke Ellington at the piano – at this time still
playing in the stride style. The development in his playing can be heard in Lot o’ Fingers, a very fast piece which is mainly a Ducal piano solo.
More importantly, Duke’s abilities as a very special arranger were already in evidence, as in the mysterious reeds on Misssissippi Moan.
Tracks like The Mooche and East St Louis Toodle-O would recur throughout the life of the band, although they were often rearranged (I
once recorded nine different versions of The Mooche on a cassette for a friend). Later tracks on the first CD have the benefit of such soloists as
Barney Bigard, Cootie Williams and Rex Stewart.
The second CD takes us from 1939 to 1955 – a period which included the Webster-Blanton personnel which is often cited as Ellington’s finest hour. Strangely
enough, this compilation omits some of the 1940 tracks (Jack the Bear, Ko-Ko, Cotton Tail) which are generally regarded as highspots of the
period. Instead, this disc includes such oddities as The New Piano Roll Blues, a rather muddy 1950 recording including Red Rodney and Max Roach.
Thankfully the last CD contains such memorable recordings as Prelude to a Kiss, Such Sweet Thunder, Mood Indigo and Solitude. This period of the band’s existence could boast such special soloists as Clark Terry, Jimmy Hamilton and the impeccable and uplifting
Johnny Hodges. Just sample Hodges on a track like Tonight I Shall Sleep and try to think of a lovelier sound in jazz. And the Duke’s piano
continues to make its mark, with such touches as the gloriously ambiguous chords which close It Don’t Mean a Thing and Main Stem.
As with the Louis Armstrong collection in this series, this set is not a definitive cross-section of the Ducal achievement – but that would probably need
at least a hundred CDs. However, the compilation offers plenty of surprises as well as many moments of sheer joy.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
Le Chant du Monde 274 2410.12
