You ain’t been blue, ’till you’ve had that mood indigo.
Would you believe that yours truly has something in common with Duke Ellington? We do. We are both Washingtonians. DC, represent. Pretty cool when you think about it, I mean we are talking about the Duke you know.
Edward Kennedy Ellington is not just one of the greatest jazz guys we have ever known, or one of the greatest composer we have ever seen, he sits as high as you can amongst the giants in all music. Duke Ellington is an American legend and icon. Really there are no words to describe the importance of Ellington. He’s a Mozart of the 20th Century with a jazz canvas. And like Mozart, people will undoubtedly be talking about him for hundreds of years to come. As long as people have ears, they will appreciate this genius. We could go on and on about Duke Ellington, but you get the gist of it. Duke was and still is The Man!
I awoken early today to start my first shift at my new part time job. Funny thing, the calendar says it’s still fall, but winter has spoken. It was 28 degrees when I left this morning. Brrrr. I know other parts of the country are under foots of snow, but what happened to our lovely autumn? “Masterpieces of Ellington” was a warm companion on my crisp commute. Beginning with the 15 minute plus Mood Indigo, and continuing with Sophisticated Lady, The Tattooed Bride and Solitude, this was Ellington’s first long play record. 1956 re-issue features three bonus tracks. Every song showcases the talent and cohesiveness of Ellington and his Orchestra.
There is so much amazing Ellington music that it was hard to really make a choice. Shout-outs to his “Ellington at Newport” and “Far East Suite.” I also enjoy his “Latin American Suite.” Whether you pick one of these or today’s AOTD “Masterpieces,” or any other Ellington records for that matter, you won’t be disappointed. Again, hail to the Duke for an astounding body of work and lifetime of incredible art. As I often say, we (the human race) are better off because of the Duke Ellington’s of the world. Thank God.
*Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano
Cat Anderson (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7), Shorty Baker, Mercer Ellington (tracks 1-4), Fats Ford (tracks 1-4), Ray Nance, Nelson Williams – trumpet
Lawrence Brown (tracks 1-4), Tyree Glenn (tracks 1-4), Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (tracks 5-7) – trombone
Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
Johnny Hodges (tracks 1-4), Willie Smith (tracks 5-7) – alto saxophone
Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
Wendell Marshall – bass
Sonny Greer (tracks 1-4), Louis Bellson (tracks 5-7) – drums
Yvonne Lanauze – vocals ^
365, Album of the Day 2014 