# Duke Ellington Recordings - looking for more good stuff



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'd like to add a few more Ellington CDs to my collection, so maybe you Duke fanatics can steer me in the right direction? I'm looking for modern recordings (mid 50s and up) with decent sound. I love the sound of Blues In Orbit, so more along those lines would be great.

Here's what I've got on CD:

Blues In Orbit
Ellington & Armstrong
Ellington & Coltrane
Newport 1956
Money Jungle
Afro Eurasian Eclipse 
Ella At Duke's Place


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

My favorite among those not mentioned yet:










The early 3-disc set with the Blanton-Webster band is classic, but may be a bit older sound / style than you are looking for.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

Aside from those already mentioned, of which I have only 2, I would suggest Ellington Indigos (Columbia) and The Intimacy of the Blues (Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics).


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

some of my favorites (with a track taken from the album):

Queen suite





Such sweet thunder





Far East Suite





...and his mother called him Bill





Blanton Webster




(it's truly difficult to choose just one track)

Black brown and beige (the one with Mahalia Jackson, if not else for Come sunday)





Ellington Uptown





I have put two (or three? I'm not sure about Le sucrier velour but I'm tempted to think that I'm right) pieces that were actually pieces of Billy Strayhorn. While I love Ellington, I have to say that I like Strayhorn even more.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Cool! I'll spend some time over the weekend sampling these albums. Such Sweet Thunder sounds very good! And the Piano albums too.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

starthrower said:


> And the Piano albums too.


yes, add Piano reflections to the list, is a great piano album, there's also a piece, Who Knows? that sounds like something created by Thelonious Monk (Monk has a tune called Who knows but it's a different piece).


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The Monkster was obviously influenced by Maestro Ellington. That's another album I've been meaning to pick up. Monk Plays Ellington.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

Starthrower,

Here are a few of my favorite Ellington recordings from the 1950s onward (excluding discs that you already have):

*Masterpieces by Ellington (Sony, 1951)*
Long-form renditions of his classics, taking advantage of the new long-play format. "The Tattooed Bride" is a highlight.

*Ellington Uptown (Sony, 1951)*
Includes one of the best versions of "Take the A Train" ever, sung by Betty Roche.

*Piano Reflections (Capitol, 1953)*
Highlights Ellington the _pianist_ in a trio setting.

*Such Sweet Thunder (Sony, 1957)*
Music inspired by Shakespeare.

*Happy Reunion (Doctor Jazz/Sony, 1958)*
Small group dates featuring Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonsalves. Not released until after Ellington's passing. Ellington referred to his massive amount of unreleased music as the "stockpile," knowing that it would be released eventually.

*Anatomy of a Murder (Sony, 1959)*
The soundtrack to the Jimmy Stewart/Lee Remick movie didn't hit me all that hard at first. But the more I listened, the more I admired it. Now I love it.

*The Great Paris Concert (Atlantic, 1963)*
Cootie Williams returns to the fold, and he sounds _fantastic_.

*All-Star Road Band, Vol. 1 (Doctor Jazz/Sony, 1964)*
Another stellar live performance. The middle-60s band was one of Duke's best.

*The Far East Suite (RCA, 1966)*
"Ad Lib on Nippon" is the highlight, but the whole album is great.

*...And His Mother Called Him Bill (RCA, 1967)*
Ellington pays tribute to Strayhorn after Strayhorn died. "Lotus Blossom" will break your heart.

*The Private Collection, Vol. 5: The Suites (Atlantic/Saja, 1969, 1970)*
Some of Duke's greatest music and totally unique. Paul Gonsalves is sublime.

It took me a long time to find my way into Ellington's music. But when I finally did, I fell for it *hard*. Now, he is doubtless the first artist that I would take to any desert island, my very favorite musician.

One last recommendation: The cheap Sony compilation _*The Essence of Duke Ellington*_ was instrumental (no pun intended) in helping me find my way inside Ellington's music. It collects music from (mostly) the latter half of the 1930s. I'd strongly recommend giving it a listen too. It really opened my eyes. Songs like "Solitude" and "Azure" are POWERFUL music. The music from this era "unlocked" Ellington's other music for me.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

^^^
I've been waiting for you to chime in. Thanks! I'm tempted to pick up the 5 pack original album series, but I hate those unreadable cardboard sleeves. I'll probably get the individual CDs.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

starthrower said:


> The Monkster was obviously influenced by Maestro Ellington. That's another album I've been meaning to pick up. Monk Plays Ellington.


Monk loved Ellington but the fact is that especially in this case it seems that it was Ellington influenced by Monk. As the tune says, "who knows"?


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

starthrower said:


> ^^^
> I've been waiting for you to chime in. Thanks! I'm tempted to pick up the 5 pack original album series, but I hate those unreadable cardboard sleeves. I'll probably get the individual CDs.


Have fun.  I'm sorta jealous that you have all that discovery ahead of you. 

One other thing: Don't listen to Ellington as "jazz." Just listen to it as _music_. Discarding my "jazz preconceptions" opened doors to Ellington's world.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

norman bates said:


> Monk loved Ellington but the fact is that especially in this case it seems that it was Ellington influenced by Monk. As the tune says, "who knows"?


I would argue that Monk was HUGELY influenced by Ellington. Not the other way around.

Just as Ellington was HUGELY influenced by Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie "The Lion" Smith.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

JACE said:


> I would argue that Monk was HUGELY influenced by Ellington. Not the other way around.
> 
> Just as Ellington was HUGELY influenced by Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie "The Lion" Smith.


In the end, though, all of these guys were complete originals.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

That's the way I listen to everything. I like music with personality, so I listen to Duke as Duke, Monk as Monk, etc... Genres mean nothing to me. It's like Duke said, "there are only two kinds of music..."


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Another couple of goodies from his later years:

















This one from the late 50s goes under the radar a bit - it's a studio recording with the band still white hot after recent festival appearances, and consisting of some material that had only recently had its teeth cut in live performance (although the twin-drum battle of Duael Fuel may not be to everyone's taste).


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

^^^
Duke definitely kept things interesting as he got older. He really was a progressive artist, even though he's probably thought of as classic jazz.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

JACE said:


> I would argue that Monk was HUGELY influenced by Ellington. Not the other way around.


yes I know, altough I would say that Monk had a style that was completely his own (or at least, the influence of Ellington is the least discernable to my ears) in terms of melody, harmony and rhythm. When I hear certain pieces of Mingus or Ralph Burns I can see clearly that they had Ellington and Strayhorn as models. But it's difficult to see tunes like Trinkle tinkle, Humph, Light blue or Well you needn't as something that owes much to Ellington, who even when composed angular or dissonant pieces (Tonk or The clothed woman for instance) sounded completely different. But in that particular tune Duke created a tune that really sounds like something influenced by Monk.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

The Popular Duke Ellington was the first LP I ever bought of duke. It was Duke re recording some of his hits in a modern stereo settting. For me its still my fave A train recording.










I know its been mentioned already but Piano in the Background is possibly my all time fave lp. Its HOT! 'What am I here for?' always puts a smile on my face and inda Dukish/ Rockin in Rythm is one of the most exiting recordings Ever! Just gets me going every time. There is a Hundred mile an hour version of 'Im beginning to see the light' thats amazing on side two. You must get this LP and play it LOoouuud!!










Raisin the Rent with Ivie Anderson.....oh yes!










The Duke at Tanglewood. With Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops.
Great fun...Caravan is a real trip!.










Ellington Showcase. 
This early fifties collection is fab. Even if you only hear the first two tracks. ( Harlem Airshaft and Serious Serenade) My oh my!










Take the a train. Emporio CD 
If you see this one pick it up. Taffy Twist is marvelous and it has Flirtybird Anatomy of a Murder on it.









I could go on and on and on!


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> Another couple of goodies from his later years:


Yeah EG!!! Duke's band was still going strong into the 1970s! :cheers:


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

I don't think _Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins _has been mentioned. Hawk has never sounded better and the settings Ellington provides with a reduced lineup of the orchestra are sumptuous. Hodges and others get their turn to shine.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

What about Black Brown and Beige?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I just found my album. This stuff is gorgeous!


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

starthrower said:


> I just found my album. This stuff is gorgeous!


Daydream in those sessions with Strayhorn and Hodges is the definitive version, amazing


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

norman bates said:


> Daydream in those sessions with Strayhorn and Hodges is the definitive version, amazing


Kind of an expensive CD, but I ordered a copy. Johnny Hodges sounds so good!

Importcds had a bunch of Ellington titles for 3.99, so I grabbed several titles.

Uptown
Such Sweet Thunder
Piano In The Foreground
Black Brown & Beige

and I found a copy of And His Mother Called Him Bill at the library.

Thanks to everybody for all of the great suggestions!


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

starthrower said:


> What about Black Brown and Beige?


Can't go wrong with that. Mahalia Jackson handles the vocal parts.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

JACE said:


> Can't go wrong with that. Mahalia Jackson handles the vocal parts.


I listened to it once several years ago. You can't get much more depth and soul than Mahalia Jackson.
And backed by Duke Ellington to boot!

I listened to the tune you mentioned from the Strayhorn tribute album. It's 
very moving. I'm really looking forward to listening to the whole record.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

Going off at a slight tangent, you might be interested to explore a bit of the music of the veteran British composer and bandleader Mike Westbrook (Mike has just turned 79 and is going strong). He cites Ellington as his primary influence. In 1984, he composed _On Duke's Birthday_, which was released in May 1984 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Ellington's death (so perhaps it should have been called _On Duke's Deathday_?). It's wonderful, complex and groovy stuff. The first section, _Checking in at Hotel Le Prieure_, is on YouTube, as is a later part, _East Stratford Too-Doo_.

Mike Westbrook Orchestra
Mike Westbrook (piano)
Phil Minton (trumpet, voice)
Kate Westbrook (tenor horn, voice)
Brian Godding (guitar)
Dominique Pifarely (violin)
Georgie Born (cello)
Danilo Terenzi (trombone)
Steve Cook (bass guitar)
Tony Marsh (drums)
Chris Biscoe (baritone, alto, & soprano saxes, alto clarinet, piccolo)
Stuart Brooks (trumpet, flugelhorn)


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

starthrower said:


> Kind of an expensive CD, but I ordered a copy. Johnny Hodges sounds so good!
> 
> Importcds had a bunch of Ellington titles for 3.99, so I grabbed several titles.
> 
> ...


Love "and his mother called him Bill" Listening to the lp right now.(Cool version of Day-Dream on it)










Black Brown & Beige with Mahalia Jackson is the one to hear.

Up Next... Billy Strayhorn Live.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

There's a bunch of copies of this book for 1 penny, so I got one. From what I've read, it's one
of the better books on Ellington's music.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Some great suggestions in this thread I'll have to check out. I've been seriously impressed by Ellington's music ever since picking up a live recording on a whim one day that I found in a bargain bin for about 2 bucks.

_Live at the Blue Note in Chicago in 1952_. Duke speaks to the audience between tracks and seems an interesting character. This recording is so full if life and energy and virtually transports me back in time. The compositions and the musicianship displayed by Ellington and his band strike me as stellar, though I do wonder how this recording stacks up to some of his other stuff, here is the track list:

The Eighth Veil (featuring Cat Anderson)
How High the Moon
In My Solitude (featuring Jimmy Grissim)
Duet (featuring Jimmy Hamilton and Wendal Marshall)
"A" Train (featuring Betty Roche)
Caravan (featuring Juan Tito)
I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (featuring Ray Nance)
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (featuring Harry Carne)


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Some wonderful footage here.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sorry, but I'm high on Duke, and this stuff is great! My Funny Valentine is beautiful.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

There are so many great Ellington's recordings. Two gems not mentioned yet:


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

One of the most landmark box sets:


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

I have enjoyed many of the titles listed above and will look into some of the others, thanks.

Generally I can't get past the early recordings. So concise, so original.

One disappointment, when Sinatra recorded with Basie it was pure delight, but to these ears his meeting with Ellington was NOT a success. I have it somewhere but haven't' listened in 20 years. Is it worth another go?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_A._&_Edward_K.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

starthrower said:


> What about Black Brown and Beige?


Essential.



Badinerie said:


> Love "and his mother called him Bill"
> 
> Also required listening.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

starthrower said:


> What about Black Brown and Beige?


Essential.



Badinerie said:


> Love "and his mother called him Bill"


Also required listening.


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## westewart (Mar 4, 2018)

Has anyone downloaded The Early Years of Duke Ellington and found rhythmical problems in nearly every track?


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