Word: ellington
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...band of the year. We like our position even more after having heard his new record of "Three Little Words." As a matter of fact, after having heard him on the air the other night, we feel positively smug about the whole thing. Gene's band sounds more like Ellington than any other white band playing today...
...playing three styles of tempos these days: his old fast killer style, softened down greatly--a fast Ellington bounce tempo-and a very slow Kansas City colored sock style that sounds a great deal like Andy Kirk only much more cleanly performed and with better phrasing. Best example of this style (which he is using on most of his pop tunes) is the theme song with which he opens his broadcasts. Listen especially to tenor saxman Sam Donahue, who is one of the best white men playing. Gene's playing has quieted down into good solid drumming for the band...
...good as had hoped it would be . . . Count Basie's "I Left My Baby" a swell side of blues with Jimmy Rushing doing better singing than he has done for quite some time. Lester Young on sax gives him good backing . . . This new bass player that Duke Ellington found is really sensational. Listen to "Plucked Again" wherein he plays a duet with the Duke. It's quite something...
Indicative of this feeling is it that Gramaphone Shop of New York listed Ellington in its catalogue--and no other jazz band! Listen to records of his such as "Little Posey" (for brass ensemble work), "Plucked Again" (for fine piano changes), "Azure" (for brilliant impressionism), "Pyramid" (for an unusual experiment in music) and no further explanation will be needed...
...hapless public, Guy Lombardo has finally relented and convinced brother Carmen that someone else should take care of the Lombardo lyrics. Nominee is a bird by the name of Mert Curtis, who used to sing for Russ Morgan. . . . Victor claims that it is going to swipe Duke Ellington, Horace Heldt, Kay Kayser, and a couple of other bands away from Columbia records in February. All we can say is that this record racket, which totalled 70,000,000 sales last year, is really getting vicious...