Word: ellington
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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Didn't get time last week to really say one-tenth of what should and could be said about Duke Ellington and his band. He was out at Briggs and Briggs last week for one of these record signing sessions, and besides amazing the various bystanders with some excellent piano, he pulled the following honey. (He had been previously declaiming against the present trend towards commercialism in jazz, and had said that all the big bands were playing "commercial." He was asked if this were true, why was it that his band had been able to go along...
...that Duke very often doesn't score parts for him--just lets him ramble at will. Listen to "Azure" for some ramblings what am. Barney Bigard (clarinet) and Johnny Hodges (alto) are two more of jazz's greats. They have done hundreds of swell solos on all sorts of Ellington records...
Haven't done much record coverage lately, so here goes: Benny Goodman (Columbia)--"Boy Meets Horn," the best of his recent efforts save for above mentioned "Honeysuckle" and a carbon copy of Rex Stewart's (trumpet) solo effort with Duke Ellington. Still another example of how Benny is forsaking nerve-racking power house for honest-to-goodness swing. "Memories of You" by the Sextet is equally good....Tommy Dorsey, having won the Downbeat Sweet poll, is beginning to play more good swing than he ever has before. "Easy Does It" is a worthy successor to the platter of "Stomp...
Artle Shaw hasn't been recording lately....Count Basie's output lately hasn't been too good, his latest release (Decca) of "Jive at Five" being pretty uninteresting....Duke Ellington is doing so many good things that it is virtually Impossible to stay up with him. Especially recommended are "Tootin' Thru The Roof" with an amazing duet by trumpeter Rex Stewart and trombonist Lawrence Brown, "Little Posey," a driving ensemble disc, and "Blues," a duet with Duke on plano and his new bass find, Jimmy Blanton. Maybe Ellington doesn't have the polished technique ideas of some of the boys...
Krupa can ride for a long time on his copy of Ellington's "Hodge Podge." It's a magnificent record....Eddle Duchin (Columbia) has recorded his theme, the Chopin "Nocturne" and strangely enough, it makes quite an acceptable record....Jan Savitt's been turning out pop tunes, but they're excellent renditions and been watching. Total output of Woody Herman, Charlie Barnet, and Harry James has been nil lately, mainly due to overplaying. Woody has one coming out this week called "Blues On Parade" that ought to be pretty good, however...