Duke Ellington - Piano in the Foreground Reis (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

One For The Piano Player!

Michael F. Hopkins | Buffalo, NY USA | 08/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eloquent expression, energetic inspiration, iridescent swing. Welcome to the world of Duke Ellington. Pioneer orchestrator, master composer, musical colossus of the 20th century, and beyond. African American genius of the Big Band and more, he spent a lifetime showcasing the world as his podium. For his song, the stage is still set, players from all walks carrying forth the next act, all vowing to never forget.

Bearing all that in mind, come on in to one of the most intimate, magical sessions ever conceived by the Duke. A rare classic from 1961 (with equally rare bonus tracks from 1957), this is a trio setting which features Ellington at the piano, and what a treat it is! With drummer Sam Woodyard providing subtle nuance, and bassist Aaron Bell (Jimmy Woode on the bonus tracks) threading supple tapestries, the Duke unleashes a bountiful program of standards and originals which cuts loose with a dancing intensity. From the nimble caress of "I Can't Get Started" to a prowling, grimly smiling deconstruction of "Summertime" tipping its hat to Cecil Taylor, you feel the very air around you become charged with spirit, with promise.

Listen on, through the sweep and circumstance of "Body And Soul" and the hip-hugging boogie of

"Cong-Go", through the luscious, beckoning quiet of "Springtime In Africa", to the sheer color & magnificence of "All The Things You Are" (the second take of which begins with a hearty dissonant nod to Thelonious Monk!}.

The finish is not one, but four types of "Piano Improvisation" which run the gamut from salient mood portraits to a honky tonk vignette gleefully brandishing the Duke's roots in the Harlem Stride of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. In the final hop, jitterbugs and straight suits all waltz together into the jump of Destiny.

At album's end, you are one with the dance, its melodies lingering on, ever on..."

The Piano Player

F. Hagan | Raleigh, North Carolina, USA | 09/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is something inescapably elegant about a piano accompanied by a stand up base and a drum set. The traditional piano lead ensemble is at the heart of groovy jazz and the big band arrangement, and an example of the many reasons that one of the greatest composer/arranger, and conductor's of the 20th century referred to himself, depreciatively, as "the piano player." It has been argued that the real instrument he played was his orchestra, and it might be added that Billy Strayhorn normally played the piano in recording sessions, therefore, this newest offering of a Duke Ellington compilation, "Piano In The Foreground (Legacy)," is something uniquely special.

It is the Duke, himself, playing with a minimalist ensemble, so that the full measure of his musicianship can be enjoyed. These session recordings, taking place in New York and Los Angeles from 1956 to 1961, assemble material from several harder to find sources, with excellent bonus offerings for the fortunate consumer.

Dancers who enjoy the groove sound will certainly appreciate "I Can't Get Started," "It's Bad to Be Forgotten," "A Hundred Dreams Ago," and "So." The first track mentioned being this reviewer's personal pick for most played out of simple listening enjoyment. This is a great mood album, and the piano captures the emotional intent of each piece, as evidenced in great arrangements of "Body and Soul" and "Blues for Jerry." There's some great rhythmic vibes to be experienced in "Cong-Go" and "Springtime in Africa." The majority of the tracks are Ellington compositions, with only a smattering of Gershwin, Hammerstein, and a few others. The bonus tracks are perhaps the most fascinating, because they show the limitless creative potential of the Duke, offering two takes on interpreting "All The Things You Are," and then giving the listener four piano improvisations, creating an observation window into the mind of such a special talent. This is rich instrumental work that is the essence of class and style. From the rich melody of "Searching (Pleading for Love)" to the delicate petals of "Lotus Blossom," this is an album for anyone who appreciates the piano, and once more, the man playing it.

"

...but his real instrument is the Piano!

jive rhapsodist | NYC, NY United States | 02/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You all know the received wisdom: "Ellington plays piano, but his real instrument is the band". True enough in the '20's and '30's. True through most of the '40's. But 1947 (?)'s The Clothed Woman and New York City Blues introduced a new rub into the Ellington world. From then on, many of his most radical, searching ideas would be expressed through the piano, and the piano only. Did he not figure out an approach to scoring these ideas, or did he see these domains as essentially separate? We can't really know...but meanwhile there's this modest masterpiece of a CD, by far the finest piano record he ever made (well, there aren't so many to choose from, but still...). Summertime (track 6) goes quite far into Cecil Taylor territory, and is probably the high point of the session, but it's all pretty fantastic. Searching (track 10) is an idea he would keep fussing with - it's somewhat connected to 1950's Janet and shows up again on one of his last sessions - the duo with Ray Brown. The change in his playing between this session (1961) and that one (1972) is fascinating. His playing is much more incisive there, but his touch isn't nearly so beautiful. So (track 9) is one of those rare pieces where Ellington seems to almost let down the elegant mask - it has something rueful, nostalgic and indominable about it. Understated, funky and beautiful. This one's a no-brainer: get it or have an unfillable gap in your collection!"

The reason Basie disappeared during the meeting of the two o

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 03/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've picked up the most recent edition of the Ellington-Basie two-band collaboration, you've read in the accompanying booklet the account of the Count suddenly becoming bashful and scarce when it was his turn to play with the Duke looking on. Of course, Basie was no mean piano player himself, as Norman Granz realized when, in the 1970s, he paired him with Oscar Peterson ("Josh and Satch"). But Duke could practically be "beyond category" (his term) when it came to his piano playing as well as his composing, arranging, and orchestra leading. He'll remind you a lot of Thelonious and even of Horace Silver in his percussive approach to the piano (which is, after all, a percussion instrument), at one point ("Summertime") attacking it with, as a previous reviewer has suggested, the abandon of a Cecil Taylor. The next moment he'll remind you of his roots--not the Kansas City boogie that caught Basie's ear but the bright right-hand octaves of Fatha and the New York stride style of James P., Fats, and Willie the Lion. But he's also capable of suggesting the nuance and subtlety--of harmony, voicings, and touch--of an Art Tatum (especially on "Body and Soul").

On some small group recordings--with Pops and especially with Coltrane--Duke could be sufficiently reserved, and repetitious, to raise questions in some listeners' minds about his chops and feel for the piano. But just listen to the accompaniment he supplies Paul Gonsalves' during the latter's solo on "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" ("Newport '56"), on which Duke demonstrates that he was practically as essential to the success of the most celebrated performance in jazz festival history as was Gonsalves. Paul negotiates those 28 choruses so masterfully, sending the crowd into a Dionysian frenzy, because Duke "made him do it." As if replicating the sounds of his piano accompaniment, the Maestro throws in vocal encouragement to Paul, pushing him to the outer limits while maintaining a tight rein on the performance--so that it becomes a participatory experience for all in attendance rather than a one-man exhibition.

This recording is a must for quasi-completists, better than many of the other duo/trio/quartet albums by Duke that come to mind, but I wouldn't put it ahead of any of Duke's big band recordings, nor for that matter many of his scaled-down sessions, such as the one he made with Louis and the recently reissued Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins meeting. In fact, his piano playing, as sui generis as it is, is simply one of many reasons--some more compelling--that he can claim the title of America's greatest musician.

[The April '10 Down Beat polls musicians for their favorite big band recording. Duke gets the most mentions, but there are conspicuous absences, including "Black, Brown, and Beige," "The Nutcracker Suite" (a virtual triumph), "A Drum Is a Woman," "Ellington Uptown" (best version of "A Train" and "Skin Deep" on record), "Suite Thursday," "New Orleans Suite," "Togo Brava," the three "Sacred Concerts," the shamefully underrated "Blue Rose." And that's barely a start--by an unusual man who composed between sets while his band was on break or deep into the night while riding in the front seat next to chauffeur Harry Carney. The results, even when the whole was clearly non-representative of his best, were unfailingly successful in producing scintillating, soul-satisfying, once-in-a-lifetime moments of the sublime Ellington woodwind or brass sound, whether or not it was Ben Webster or Paul playing tenor and even when the Jeep wasn't with the band.]"

20th Century great

S J Buck | Kent, UK | 12/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As one of the most important musicians of the last century Duke Ellington is rightly famous for the Orchestra he led for so many decades. As part of that great ensemble you would hear Ellingtons Piano, sometimes a lot but it was never the primary focus of the Orchestra.

Here we get 70 minutes of The Duke playing Piano with only Arron Bell or Jimmy Woode on Bass and Sam Woodyard on drums. Ellington's Piano style was a surprising mixture of stride Piano some aspects of modern Jazz Piano. He made a surprising amount of use of dissonance for a Jazz musician born in 1899. For a good example of this listen to his version of "Summertime" on this album (which is really quite dramatic) and in general the whole tone scale which was another trademark of Ellingtons. Ellington could mess around in a seemingly avant-agarde style but in general you know its going to resolve into swing.

This album has a few really swinging tracks noteably the superb "It's Bad To be Forgotten" and the bonus "Piano Improvisation No. 2". For an example of Ellingtons great stride Piano technique have a listen to "Piano Improvisation No.4" - magic.

The tracks on this album were recorded in 1957 and 1961 and together with the brilliant "Money Jungle" (with Max Roach and Charles Mingus) its one of the key Ellington Piano albums to get.

"

Search - Duke Ellington :: Piano in the Foreground (Reis)

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