The Private Collection Volume 1 - Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
| The Private Collection Volume 1 - Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956 | ||||
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| Studio album by Duke Ellington | ||||
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| Label (s) | LMR Records; Warner Brothers | |||
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CD, LP |
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The Private Collection Volume 1 - Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956 is a jazz album by Duke Ellington , recorded in four recording sessions from March to December 1956, released in 1987 with LMR Records, then the following year with Warner Brothers .
Prehistory of the album
Even if his own efforts as a record producer (on the Musicraft and Sunrise Records label ) were not very successful, Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the first jazz composers to use the possibilities of record recording for their work. Early on, Ellington had the habit of recording his music on tape; part of this archive is now available in the 10 CD private collection . Cook and Morton's best of these recordings is the first part of this series, which was made in 1956 with the Duke Ellingtons Orchestra in Chicago. The recordings in the "Private Collection" are a monument to Ellington's genius ; they showed a living laboratory for musicians, composers and arrangers.
The recordings of these four sessions date from an important year for the Ellington Band, the year of their legendary performance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 7, 1956 . Johnny Hodges had returned to the orchestra in January 1956 - after attempting solo with his own band. But at the festival it was clearly the appearance of Paul Gonsalves that promoted the band's comeback. Gonsalves is also in the foreground here; his solo on the Chicago sessions on “Satin Doll” and “ In a Sentimental Mood ” is considered brilliant.
Although he was - in the beginning of the long-playing record - with the simultaneous recordings for Columbia Records urged to record longer and more extensive works such as the suites "Such Sweet Thunder" and "A Drum Is a Woman", Ellington continued the tradition to write short pieces for his band and individual features for each member.
The album
The first track "March 19th Blues" introduces the band's star soloists; it was also recorded under the titles "The E and D Blues" and "22 Cent Stomp". "Feet Bone" is a feature for Hodges and Harry Carney, as well as the trombone setting that determines the dark mood of the piece. "In a Sentimental Mood" is a feature for Gonsalves' romantic tone. "Discontented" is also known as "Bassment" or "Daddy's Blues" and contains a solo by bassist Jimmy Woode . The swing classic "Jump for Joy" is primarily a feature for Jimmy Hamilton , Sam Woodyard and Woode. The clarinet style gives the pieces a soft character. "Just Scratchin 'the Surface" is characterized by the ensemble playing and contains a short solo by Gonsalves. It reminds of the atmosphere of the Basie band . "Prelude to a Kiss" has been interpreted many times by Johnny Hodges ; Stanley Dance considers this solo to be one of his most successful interpretations of the composition. "Miss Lucy" is also reminiscent of the sound of the Basie band and contains a solo by Ray Nance . "Uncontrived" is a trombone feature first, followed by solos by Hamilton, Quentin Jackson , Nance, Ellington, Hodges, Clark Terry and again Hamilton. "Satin Doll" wasn't the Ellington band's big hit at the time and has seen many changes since then. The soloist is Paul Gonsalves. The ballad "Do Not Disturb" is a feature for Ray Nance. "Love You Madly" sounds like a pop song; Gonsalves has a solo here. Clark Terry points out "Short Sheet Cluster"; he brings up memories of his predecessor Rex Stewart . "Moon Mist" was written by Ellington's son Mercer in 1941 and was originally intended as a feature for Ben Webster , who was late for the recording session, so the solo was played by Ray Nance. Paul Gonsalves is also in the foreground as a soloist. "Long Time Blues" as the longest piece of the sessions has a deep blues feeling and brings back memories of the jungle style . Soloists are Hodges, Nance, Carney and Hamilton.
Impact history
Richard Cook and Brian Morton awarded the album the top four stars in their Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD .
The titles
- March 19th Blues 5:26
- Feet Bone 2:43
- In a Sentimental Mood 3:05
- Discontented 3:02
- Jump for Joy 1:53
- Just Scratchin 'the Surface 3:06
- Prelude to a Kiss 3:29
- Miss Lucy 3:17
- Uncontrived 5:13
- Satin Doll 2:34
- Do Not Disturb 2:47
- Love You Madly 3:22
- Short Sheet Cluster 2:36
- Moon Mist 3:27
- Long Time Blues 8:39
- Except for "Moon Mist," composed by Mercer Ellington , all titles are by Duke Ellington.
- Tracks 2, 4, 6, 11, 15 were published on March 17th, tracks 9 and 12 on March 18th, tracks 1, 7 and 8 on March 19th and tracks 5, 10 and 14 on December 16th Recorded in 1956.
"The Private Collection"
The "Private Collection" appeared on 10 CDs in individual editions on the record labels "Saja" and "Kaz". Apart from "Volume 1 - Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956", it was also published
- Volume 2: Dance Concerts, California 1958
- Volume 3: Studio Sessions, New York 1962
- Volume 4: Studio Sessions, New York 1963
- Volume 5: The Suites, New York, 1968 & 1970
- Volume 6: Dance Dates, California, 1958
- Volume 7: Studio Sessions, 1957 & 1962
- Volume 8 Studio Sessions 1957, 1965–67, San Francisco, Chicago, New York
- Volume 9: Studio Sessions, New York 1968
- Volume 10: Studio Sessions, New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971
Literature / sources
- Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD . 6th edition. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6 .
- Stanley Dance : Liner Notes for "The Private Collection Volume 1 - Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956"
- Hans Ruland: Duke Ellington - his life, his music, his records . Gauting, Oreos (Collection Jazz) 1985
Remarks
- ↑ cf. Cook & Morton p. 464
- ↑ cf. Cook & Morton, p. 464
- ↑ On January 27, 1956, he and his orchestra for Columbia initially recorded shorter pieces for his album "Blue Rose" with Rosemary Clooney . He recorded the two suites in August and September 1956. See Ellington Sessionography
- ↑ The notes on the individual titles have Stanley Dance in the liner notes of the Warner edition as a source. Dance is wrong on track 1. "Slamar in D Flat" is a separate piece, later recorded as "Rondolet".