Duke Ellington

4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

The second of ten CDs of previously unissued recordings of Duke Ellington, this set differs from the others by being from a single live session, a dance concert from 1958. The orchestra at the time boasted such stars as trumpeters Shorty Baker, Clark Terry and Ray Nance, trombonists Quentin Jackson and Britt Woodman and a superb saxophone section, although Johnny Hodges is temporarily absent. The music on this CD sticks to standards (some of which were not usually associated with Duke) and can be thought of as a live version of Indigos although the inclusion of some up-tempo material (including a totally ad-lib "Lady Be Good") adds more variety. A typically excellent example of 1958 Duke Ellington. - Scott Yanow

TRACKS:

01. Main Stem
02. Dancing in the Dark
03. Stompy Jones
04. Time on My Hands
05. Stompin' at the Savoy
06. Sophisticated Lady
07. Take the 'A' Train [Instrumental]
08. All Heart
09. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
10. Take the 'A' Train [Version]
11. Where or When
12. The Mooche
13. One O'Clock Jump
14. Autumn Leaves
15. Oh, Lady Be Good
16. Things Ain't What They Used to Be