Search - Duke Ellington :: The Private Collection, Vol. 6: Dance Dates, California, 1958

Hugely Enjoyable Live Performances

G. McCoy | Kansas City, MO | 01/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, you love the Duke, but you're tired of the same old studio
releases and you're wondering what else is out there. Here you go: an inside listen at one of Duke's late fifties road gigs (at an Air Force base somewhere in California, if I remember rightly). At various periods, Duke used to tape all his shows himself, and a string of those recordings make up the Private collection. Throughout the recording, Duke banters with the audience and the band in a relaxed, informal way that is really fun to hear. The band is in fine form and the sound is surprisingly good. In fact, for a live recording, the sound is outstanding. Possibly the best thing about the Private series is that you get to hear how Duke changed arrangements from night to night. This set opens with a rousing, hard-swinging 'Such Sweet Thunder,' and also features a slow-burning, exotic 'Caravan,' which happens to be my personal favorite version of the tune. In all, if you like Duke's music and want to hear how the band really sounded outside the studio, I think you'll like this record. Definitely five stars, especially compared to the better-known but inferior studio records of this era."