Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown

337

Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown

By

Sign in to view read count
Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown
For the sake of honesty, I must admit that I have never particularly enjoyed music recorded before the '50s, though the occasional interloper has caught my ear and found itself an exception. The problem with the earlier music mostly has to do with technology. First, sound quality is a mixed bag (and often a disaster) by modern terms; and second, length limitations prohibited any stretching out, whether in solo or ensemble space. The latter consideration gets at the core of what constitutes modern jazz, and it's an unfortunate dividing line.

Duke Ellington's concert bands broke through this boundary around the turn of the century, with entrancing results. Following on the heels of Masterpieces by Ellington, producer George Avakian introduced the original Ellington Uptown with a flourish. Columbia has bunched this reissue with Masterpieces by Ellington and Festival Session , including original liner notes and heavy essays by historian Patricia Willard. Ellington Uptown is the fourth release of a record which originally came with five tracks, having since been picked over and rearranged repeatedly by Columbia.

There's nothing to complain about with this combination of standards ("Take the 'A' Train," "The Mooche," "Perdido"), suites ("Harlem Suite," "Controversial Suite," and "Liberian Suite"), and one Louie Bellson original ("Skin Deep") which is essentially a vehicle for lots of drumming. The reissue, containing recordings from 1947 and 1951-52, sounds good: hi-fi indeed. This particular combination of tunes actually comes across a bit unnerving, making you sit up and pay attention when vocalists pop in and out, composition and improvisation change seats, and the tone of pieces shifts dramatically. But the upside is that diversity is basically a good thing.

Notable moments include (of course) Louie Bellson's pert drumming and blizzard-laden solo space on the opener. "Take the 'A' Train" goes from piano trio to big band and back, featuring gentle if spare vocals (plus scatting) by Betty Roche, infectiously melodic and casually sophisticated. More of Duke's piano comes through again on "Perdido," playfully bouncing in the lower register but still hanging on the occasional oblique harmonies that he used like spice. "The Controversial Suite" places old-timey dance music alongside a skip-happy counterpoint, and "The Liberian Suite" (tracks broken into its six parts) swings hard but touches enough on the blues to be touching.

Columbia's monsoon of reissues allows listeners to pick and choose among some very fine music, and Ellington Uptown is no exception to the general rule. It's certainly diverse enough, containing spaces filled by solo piano, piano trio, fanfares, full-on big band, and instrumental solos and interludes.

Track Listing

Skin Deep; The Mooche; Take the

Personnel

Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn- piano; Oscar Pettiford, Junior Raglin, Wendell Marshall- bass; Louie Bellson- drums; Sonny Greer- drums, tympani on

Album information

Title: Ellington Uptown | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Columbia Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.