Jazz Articles about Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington: Ellington Centennial Releases

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 1, 1999

The 100th anniversary of the birth of bandleader and composer Duke Ellington came this past April. In its wake, the record companies decided to take advantage of the momentous occasion to put together some fine reissue packages, some quite large and others single disc affairs, that will please many an Ellington devotee and hopefully market the music to novice ears.

Starting off with the grandest concept to display the Ellington magic, RCA Victor has assembled a 24-CD boxed set entitled ...

Duke Ellington: Ellington At Newport 1956 (Complete)

by C. Michael Bailey
June 1, 1999

Eating Crow in the Snow These very words sprung from this critic's mouth: “Miles Davis was more important to American Music than Duke Ellington." Nothing could be further from the truth. Both men are important, essential artists to read about and listen to if one desires to understand American Music, specifically, Jazz. But my previous statement was foolhardy hero-worship. Within the electrons of this magazine space, I have my “Desert Island" top ten recordings. One of these is Ellington At ...

Duke Ellington: The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973)

by Mitch Myers
June 1, 1999

Edward Kennedy Ellington came into this world on April 29th, 1899. On this hundredth anniversary of his birth, it's important to remember that Duke Ellington was the greatest jazz bandleader/composer that America has ever seen. While there are a slew of great CD re-issues being made available to commemorate the Duke's immense contribution to jazz, none are as far reaching and comprehensive as “The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973)." Duke wrote more than 2000 compositions ...

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Highlights from the Centennial Edition

by Jack Bowers
May 1, 1999

A three–disc Ellington hors d’oeuvre, assembled to whet one’s appetite for the main course, a comprehensive 24–volume boxed set entitled The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, 1927–1973, honoring the memory of the maestro in the hundredth year since his birth. As we mentioned last month, the set includes a complete discography, personnel lists and a number of enlightening essays about Ellington and his music by experts in that area. It is divided into six subsets — ...

Various Artists: Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years

by Chris M. Slawecki
October 1, 1997

In my wilder, more unforgiving days, I might have merely typed up the personnel and set list and submitted only that in review of Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary Years, and argued to the powers-that-be that if the reader couldn’t comprehend its abundant magnificence of music from the unadorned facts, my descriptive and persuasive prowess would be of slight use.

I must have grown either more wise or more foolish since then.

Make no mistake: Monterey Jazz Festival: Forty Legendary ...