Search - Duke Ellington :: Duke Ellington 1924 1927

For the Ellington completist

bukhtan | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 09/02/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first in the "Chronogical [sic] Classics" series (Melodie Jazz Classics, operating in France) for Duke Ellington.
The first ten tracks are not currently available on CD elsewhere, to my knowledge; the first volume in the "Masters of Jazz" series (also French) for Ellington included these as well as some other early (i.e. pre "East St. Louis Toodle-O") recordings, but that CD is hard to find and indeed the "Masters of Jazz" series appears to have become defunct.
Tracks 11 to 23 are available elsewhere: the Columbia recordings (there are three of them) on the Columbia 2-CD set "the Okeh Ellington", and the Brunswick and Vocalion numbers (the rest) on the 3-CD Decca/MCA set "Early Ellington". The Decca set includes alternate takes, and the sound on both the Columbia and Decca sets is slightly better than that afforded by Classics.
Because these major label sets are easy to find, most Ellington fans considering this CD will focus on the first ten tracks, which were recorded for the Blu Disc, Pathe, and Gennett labels between 1924 and June 1926 (after Sidney Bechet's brief and non-extant stay with the band in the summer of 1924). These recordings have frequently been disparaged but they are not really that bad, and they will certainly be enjoyable to Ellington enthusiasts. They might be described as pop music with a distinct jazz and blues flavor. All of these arrangements are in the New York style, with no attempt to imitate New Orleans polyphony. Choo-Choo and Rainy Nights feature a small combo including Duke, Otto Hardwick on various reeds, Bubber Miley on trumpet, Charlie Irvis on trombone, Freddy Guy on banjo, and Sonny Greer on the scarcely audible drums. The later ensembles are somewhat larger. Blu Disc & Gennett seem to have preserved the best sound quality, and the sequential solos already have the somewhat operatic quality that would become characteristic of Duke's orchestra, with a fair degree of individualism though not yet of technical prowess. Bubber Miley stands out among these soloists. Unfortunately, Miley didn't make the recording sessions for several of the other numbers, performed by considerably augmented ensembles, and was frequently replaced by less distinctive trumpeters. Don Redman appears on two of the numbers, and "Wanna go back again blues" and "Can't hold the man you love" feature the great trombonist Jimmy Harrison (usually associated with Fletcher Henderson), who sings on these sides as well. Of these recordings, "Choo choo", "Rainy nights" and "Lil Farina" are probably the best realized.
Other early Ellington recordings, mostly featuring novelty numbers with singers (among them Sonny Greer), are available on the 1924-1929 "Alternate Takes" volume, part of a series coordinated with the Chronogical Classics.
Four stars rather than five, as this is not the most vital Ellington and sound quality is not of the best. But those who pursue all Ellingtonia might be tempted to add a star."