Duke Ellington - The Centennial Collection

The RCA Bluebird Centennial Collection with its single-CD/bonus-DVD combination is simply unbeatable for the money. In the case of Duke Ellington, one has to realize that any single-disc collection will be woefully inadequate, and this is no exception. However, of the 20 tracks included here, the cross section of material the composer and bandleader recorded for RCA is beautifully illustrated, beginning with "Black and Tan Fantasy" from October 1927. However, this volume also features seven previously unreleased recordings from two different sessions in 1941, including a stellar "Chelsea Bridge," "Moon Mist," "It's Square, but It Rocks," a moving "Sepia Panorama," "Love Like This Can't Last," "Are You Sticking?," and "In a Mellow Tone." These performances are worth the purchase price, but the DVD is even more compelling with no less than nine video selections that include two clips from Paramount shorts, among them "Symphony in Black" and "Record Making With Duke Ellington and His Orchestra," five clips from 1941, a selection from "Jamboree #7" from 1943, and an 11-minute interview with Ellington that was recorded for Radio Newsreel and is previously unreleased. In sum, this is a smart and compelling set for the Ellington fan and aficionado. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alvin Raglin String Bass Arthur Whetsol Trumpet Barney Bigard Clarinet, Sax (Tenor) Barry Feldman Producer, Reissue Producer Ben Webster Arranger, Sax (Tenor) Billie Holiday Vocals Billy Strayhorn Arranger Bubber Miley Trumpet Cootie Williams Trumpet Doug Hatton Conductor Duke Ellington Arranger, Piano Fred Guy Guitar, Banjo Freddy Jenkins Trumpet Harold Baker Trumpet Harry Carney Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) Hayes Alvis String Bass Herb Jeffries Vocals Ivie Anderson Vocals Jimmy Blanton String Bass Jimmy Hamilton Sax (Tenor), Clarinet Joe Tricky Sam Nanton Trombone Johnny Hodges Sax (Soprano), Clarinet, Sax (Alto) Juan Tizol Trombone (Valve) Lawrence D. Brown Trombone Louis Bacon Trumpet Louis Metcalf Trumpet Marie Bryant Vocals Mercer Ellington Arranger Nat Jones Sax (Alto) Nathan Sedlander Executive Producer Otto Hardwick Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) Paul White Vocals Randy Jackson Sax (Tenor), Clarinet Ray Nance Trumpet, Violin, Vocals Rebecca Meek Design, Package Art Direction Rex Stewart Author, Cornet Sandy Williams Trombone Sonny Greer Maracas, Drums Steve Lasker Reissue Producer, Tray Photo, Annotation, Sequencing, Mastering, Audio Restoration, Liner Notes, Photography, Producer, Disc Transfers Taft Jordan Vocals, Trumpet Wallace Jones Trumpet Wellman Braud String Bass, Sousaphone