Ellington 1930s big-band Mosaic

[jazzbo]

If you've got extra wives and get extra copies, let us know!

Great news!

[king ubu]

Yup, would apply for that, too - do you have a Harem, EKE?

[crisp]

At the risk of appearing a complete dolt (not for the first time in my life), is this just orchestra tracks, no small groups? Were there any Columbia small group tracks made during this time-frame?

[Chuck Nessa]

The small group recordings are collected in another Mosaic box.

[J.A.W.]

At the risk of appearing a complete dolt (not for the first time in my life), is this just orchestra tracks, no small groups? Were there any Columbia small group tracks made during this time-frame?

Ellington's 1936-1940 Columbia Small-Group Sessions on Mosaic

[colinmce]

This, too:

Ella & Duke at the Cote D'Azur (3 LPs)

(Release Date: November 2010)

You really never know how music festival special events will turn out. Promoters dream them up, like prize fights. Get the two biggest heavyweights in the ring, and you've got yourself a gate.

For the audience, there can be an electric charge in the moment, hearing favorites in unfamiliar pairings. In retrospect rarely do you experience anything explosive. That was not the case in 1966 when Ella Fitzgerald met Duke Ellington, for the final time in their careers.

The festival at Antibes/Juan-les-Pins, on the French Cote D'Azur, had already established itself as a destination for jazz lovers drawn to the lovely Mediterranean summers, when events follow each other throughout the season. The jazz event enjoyed an excellent reputation through the 1960s, and remains one of the top jazz festivals in the world. But it's hard to imagine any achieving as much raw emotion as the collaboration by these two acknowledged masters.

A Special 12-inch LP Release

Now, Mosaic's 3 LP re-release of "Ella & Duke at the Cote D'Azur" on 180-gram vinyl recalls the event for a new generation of listeners. It is a re-release of the original 2-LP set, plus the Ellington album "Soul Call" issued from the same concerts. Essentially, our set presents everything that was chosen, approved and released by the producer and the artists at the time.

At the time, Ella couldn't know that she and Duke - who had shared the recording studio and the stage with her before - would never appear together again. But the First Lady of Song delivered in that concert series like she was singing for the ages.

The weekend series was charged with feelings for an extremely sad reason - Ella was forced to fly to New York, and missed the first night of the festival, because of the sudden death of her half-sister Frances. That she could return to France to honor the booking is remarkable in itself. That she could unleash such extraordinary musical power in her trio and big band performances is almost unbelievable.

Big Band and Small Group Presentations

The concert format presented Ellington and Ella together with the orchestra; the orchestra alone without vocals; and Ella with a sometimes stripped-down version of the orchestra, but mostly accompanied by the Jimmy Jones Trio. Where Ella's studio performances could be almost too perfectly lovely and self-possessed, in these concert dates she seemed to connect to the lyrics with unique emotionalism, and to an inner confidence that allowed her to stretch beyond the norm. You expect fireworks in her rendition with the band of "Mack the Knife," and Ella doesn't disappoint. Another Ella favorite, "It Don't Mean a Thing," gets an incredibly jazzy rendition - free and fun for her and for Ellington guests Jo Jones, Ben Webster and Ray Nance (sharing vocals with Ella). The recordings prove that, as magisterial as Ella was in the studio and so in control of her gifts, she could be a woman unleashed in concert.

Her always-admired scatting took on new musicianship in the presence of such renowned soloists, and on ballads she achieved unparalleled nuance and texture. In particular, the lovely "The More I See You,' backed only by pianist Jimmy Jones, reaches a startling level of intimacy.

Mutual Respect

The Ellington orchestra was his mid-sixties configuration featuring long-time associates Cootie Williams, Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, and the great Johnny Hodges, plus Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Russell Procope, Sam Woodyard, Paul Gonsalves and more, including special guest appearances by Ben Webster and Jo Jones.

A highlight of the date is his recording of the extended composition "La Plus Belle Africaine," introduced on tour earlier in the year. It features John Lamb on a bowed bass solo, clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton, and Harry Carney on baritone saxophone.

Friends since the 1930s, Ella and Duke only recorded later in their careers: first for their collaboration on the Ellington installation of her series of "Songbook" sets in 1957; during the "Ella at Duke's Place" recording in 1965; and earlier the same year of the Cote d'Azur recordings for the "Stockholm Concert." Clearly for these two, getting together was more than a casual gig. It was a opportunity to celebrate their combined contributions to the music.

Our set - available in an LP-only release --- includes 20 compositions, an historical analysis and track by track breakdown by Brian Preistly, plus many rarely seen photographs. It includes something else - history. Please don't miss owning it.

[crisp]

At the risk of appearing a complete dolt (not for the first time in my life), is this just orchestra tracks, no small groups? Were there any Columbia small group tracks made during this time-frame?

Ellington's 1936-1940 Columbia Small-Group Sessions on Mosaic

Duh. Of course. I must be working too hard...

[J.A.W.]

The Mosaic description of the upcoming Ellington set:

The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia, and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (11 CDs)

(Release Date: November 2010)

After achieving youthful acclaim in Washington, and making a successful move to New York fronting (at first) small groups, Duke Ellington entered the 1930s with an expanded line-up and an increasingly creative approach to composing. Weekly radio broadcasts and swank guests in the audience spread the word; Hollywood noticed his marquee smile and musical brilliance; and the orchestra began touring extensively, including trips to Europe. His fame and popularity were on the rise.

But more importantly, Ellington entered the '30s having perfected his method of using the group to experiment with arranging and orchestrating. Ensconced at the Cotton Club in New York at the end of the previous decade, Ellington catered to a lot of musical interests and needs – he played for the dancers, and for the jazz lovers. He relied on ideas from his musicians, and wrote for them as individuals rather than as anonymous section players. With all that work and a line-up of marvelous, distinctive musical voices, Ellington began the most creative period of his life.

“Sophisticated Lady.” “Stormy Weather.” “Solitude.” “In a Sentimental Mood.” “Echoes of Harlem.” “Caravan.” All of them and many more are a part of “The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia, and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra,” an unprecedented 11-CD set that compiles these recordings for the first, and quite possibly the last, time. There would be many more exceptional compositions in the years following, including his highly regarded suites and longer works, but the scope of our latest, lavish Mosaic collection is the period when Ellington would establish himself as the most important composer ever in jazz.

Musicians Created Their Own Voices, and Interpreted His

“Jazz, if it means anything, means freedom of expression,” he told writer Stanley Dance. And express himself is what he did, through the instruments of stalwarts and newcomers to the orchestra who not only created personality for Ellington's band – they were, in many instances, standard bearers in their own right for their respective instruments.

Barney Bigard on clainet and tenor saxophone established links to the past with his New Orleans-style runs, executed with exceptional warmth. Harry Carney was the only important soloist on baritone saxophone for years, and the big bottom his instrument provided brought real gravity to the Ellington sound. The great trumpeter Cootie Williams joined to replace the fallen Bubber Miley, quickly perfecting Miley's growl and mute techniques while creating his own sound with the open horn. He was a master of establishing mood and emotion. Lawrence Brown had a ringing tone on trombone, which complemented Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton's earthy growl and Juan Tizol's fat sound. Trumpeter Arthur Whetsol, bassist Otto Hardwicke, and the inimitable Sonny Greer on drums were all associates from the earliest days in Washington. Ben Webster began perfecting his tenor saxophone style during a brief mid-'30s stint with the band before being offered a permanent position in 1940. Late in the decade, Ellington discovered Jimmie Blanton, who would revolutionize bass playing with his terrific sense of swing and dead-on intonation before illness led to a tragically early death. And what can be said about Johnny Hodges, the silky smooth alto saxophonist who influenced generatons of musicians? He was, in a line-up of superstars, a cut above all.

Ellington made use of them all, for their personal styles as well as for his own unique voicings that placed trombones at the apex of their range and clarinets at the bottom, or by putting unusual notes in the baritone instead of giving the instrument the chord's dominant tone. His compositions, the unique personal style of his players, his innovative arrangements, and his confidence in his soloists to raise any composition to a new level, combined to provide him with a pallete unequaled in music.

By the way, Mosaic's Scott and Fred told me anything on the Mosaic website can be fully and freely quoted

[medjuck]

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

[A Lark Ascending]

Looking forward to this.

Although the RCA's have been available in various forms in my listening lifetime a comprehensive collection of the Columbia years has been elusive (I believe there was something on LP before I really got interested in the early 80s). I have things scattered over various Classics and ASV discs. Be good to have this - though I suspect that by the time customs have spotted it I'll have paid a fortune!

[Clunky]

Very excited by this release. I've been easing my way into this material over the past year picking up Parlophone and Brunswick 78s of this period, yet to come across a dud. Wonder how they faired with the sound of the transfers as the originals seem a variable lot.

[tranemonk]

I thought the Okeh set went up to 1929???? :unsure:

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

[miles65]

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

If I counted right and kept track of all unissued takes there will be 251 tracks.

Overview of the complete as possible of Duke Ellington's 1924-1946 studio recordings.

Earliest Ellington 1924-1926

The Blu Disc, Up-to-date, Paramount and Gennett recordings are on Masters Of Jazz vol. 1

Brunswick/Vocalion 1926-1931

Early Ellington The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington 1926-1931 3 CD set

Discovered later and therefore not included:

27772-B Tishomingo Blues on Jazz Oracle 8047 A Gift From The President

E31372 Office Take Oklahoma Stomp unissued

Pathé, Banner, Cameo Perfect, Romeo, Okeh and Columbia 1925-1931

There has never been a complete reissue of this Sony owned material. There are 97 tracks in total. 94 of them are included on Masters of Jazz vol. 1-12. 50 are included in "The OKeH Ellington"

Not included:

150586-1 Double check stomp (never reissued take)

10357-3 Rockin Chair (never reissued take)

10359-3 Im so in love with you (this would have been track 1 of vol. 13 that never appeared)

It is on classics 605 Duke Ellington 1930-1931

Classics 539, 542, 550, 559, 569, 577, 586, 596, 605 and Neatwork RP 2009 and RP 2018 cover the same period and also have 94 tracks out of 97. But 108079-1 East St. Louis Toodle-oo is missing. It is on Masters Of Jazz Volume 3.

Masters Of Jazz also includes movie soundtracks that explains why MoJ has one CD more.

RCA Victor 1927-1934, 1940-1942, 1944-1946

The Complete RCA Victor recordings 1927-1973 (24 CD set)

1927-1934 disc 1-7

1940-1942 disc 8-13

1944-1946 disc 14-17

Missing:

053623-2 A Lull At Dawn on Neatwork RP 2051 Duke Ellington volume 8 track 14

053624-2 breakdown Ready Eddy Neatwork RP 2051 Duke Ellington volume 8 track 16

CD 10 track 22 = CD 10 track 23

CD 10 track 24 = CD 11 track 3

Hit Of The Week 1930

Sing You Sinners and St. James Infirmary

Masters Of Jazz Volume 9

Brunswick, Vocalion, Columbia, Okeh, Master and Variety 1932-1940

Mosaic 11-248 The Complete 1932-1940 Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra

Mosaic 7-235 The Complete 1936-1940 Small Group Sessions

Decca London 1933

Classics 637 Duke Ellington and his orchestra 1933

Neatwork RP 2033 Duke Ellington volume 4 (1933-1936)

These CDs Also include both takes of A souvenir of Duke Ellington

The Decca Session is also included on "The British Connexion 1933-40" On Jazz Unlimited

Musicraft 1946

CD Happy-Go-Lucky-Local Musicraft MVCD-52

My Old Flame with Mae West was not a commercial recording it is on Classics 646 Duke Ellington and his orchestra 1933-1935 track 15.

The Duke Ellington solo version of Ive got to be a rug cutter is not a commercial recording either. It is included on Le Chant Du Mondes Lhistoire du jazz vocal 1911-1940 CD 7 track 4.

Based on The New Duke Ellington Story On Records (New Desor) by Luciano Massagli and Giovanni M. Volonté, The New Desor Correction sheets (www.depanorama.net/desor/index.htm), articles in The Duke Ellington Music Society Bulletin edited by Sjef Hoefsmit (www.depanorama.net/dems/)

and my own collection.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Stompy Jones

[ghost of miles]

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

You'd still need the Reprise Mosaic box and the 1947-52 Columbia material, for starters. But yeah, this is going to fill in a huge gap in the Ducal-on-disc realm.

[miles65]

Looking forward to this.

Although the RCA's have been available in various forms in my listening lifetime a comprehensive collection of the Columbia years has been elusive (I believe there was something on LP before I really got interested in the early 80s). I have things scattered over various Classics and ASV discs. Be good to have this - though I suspect that by the time customs have spotted it I'll have paid a fortune!

1925-1940 Columbia was on 15 2 LP sets. Not complete but still...

[vajerzy]

The Mosaic Capitol set as well (if it hasn't been listed above).

I'm still hoping to obtain this set sometime!

[medjuck]

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

You'd still need the Reprise Mosaic box and the 1947-52 Columbia material, for starters. But yeah, this is going to fill in a huge gap in the Ducal-on-disc realm.

Yes I should have added "Through 1946." Maybe Mosaic can start work now on the later Columbia material. Will we ever see 'The Asphalt Jungle Twist" on cd?

[Chuck Nessa]

Speaking of later titles, has anyone reissued this?

I have this in my collection.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Chuck Nessa

[Don Brown]

That's the one from Grinnell College isn't it, Chuck? I had a couple of concert LPs by Dizzy's big band recorded there. Great music but terrible pressings unfortunately

[David Ayers]

The quantity of Ellington on my streaming service is insane. With LPs on the streaming service it is usually pretty easy to understand what you are listening to, but with the endless anthologies and collections of 78-era music it is most certainly not. For information, the wonderful Columbia Original Masters set (which the Mosaic expands on) is out there and streamable, as well as the Reprise, the Private Collection, comprehensive but not entirely reputable 'complete' and 'anthology' series, 30 volumes of 'selected favorites', various concerts and radio broadcasts etc etc. How you make sense of it and work out what you are listening to is another matter.

Incidentally material from the dodgy euro-jazz labels is often out there too - streaming is an easy way to access them without feeling you are handing over your hard earned $$$ to operations you don't approve of.

[medjuck]

The quantity of Ellington on my streaming service is insane. With LPs on the streaming service it is usually pretty easy to understand what you are listening to, but with the endless anthologies and collections of 78-era music it is most certainly not. For information, the wonderful Columbia Original Masters set (which the Mosaic expands on) is out there and streamable, as well as the Reprise, the Private Collection, comprehensive but not entirely reputable 'complete' and 'anthology' series, 30 volumes of 'selected favorites', various concerts and radio broadcasts etc etc. How you make sense of it and work out what you are listening to is another matter.

Incidentally material from the dodgy euro-jazz labels is often out there too - streaming is an easy way to access them without feeling you are handing over your hard earned $$$ to operations you don't approve of.

Here's an attempt to catalogue EKE tracks on cd. You do need to know the name of the cd the track is from and it's neither complete nor user friendly but it is a start:

http://www.ellingtonweb.ca/Hostedpages/CDCatalogue/CD-Lists.htm

Edited September 30, 2010 by medjuck

[A Lark Ascending]

Looking forward to this.

Although the RCA's have been available in various forms in my listening lifetime a comprehensive collection of the Columbia years has been elusive (I believe there was something on LP before I really got interested in the early 80s). I have things scattered over various Classics and ASV discs. Be good to have this - though I suspect that by the time customs have spotted it I'll have paid a fortune!

1925-1940 Columbia was on 15 2 LP sets. Not complete but still...

When did that come out?

I snapped up the RCA black and white twofers in the mid-80s but don't recall ever seeing theose. Perhaps they didn't appear in Britain or had been discontinued by then. Getting imports involved a lot more work in those days.

[J.A.W.]

Looking forward to this.

Although the RCA's have been available in various forms in my listening lifetime a comprehensive collection of the Columbia years has been elusive (I believe there was something on LP before I really got interested in the early 80s). I have things scattered over various Classics and ASV discs. Be good to have this - though I suspect that by the time customs have spotted it I'll have paid a fortune!

1925-1940 Columbia was on 15 2 LP sets. Not complete but still...

When did that come out?

I snapped up the RCA black and white twofers in the mid-80s but don't recall ever seeing theose. Perhaps they didn't appear in Britain or had been discontinued by then. Getting imports involved a lot more work in those days.

Those LPs were released by CBS France in the 1970s.

[A Lark Ascending]

Those LPs were released by CBS France in the 1970s.

Jazz records were always much easier to come by on the mainland. I can remember being gobsmacked by the stores in Paris, Brussels and Berlin.

To stand much of a chance of getting European/US releases in Britain you had to go to London.

Edited September 30, 2010 by A Lark Ascending

[medjuck]

How soon will they list the contents on-line? I'm thinking that if you have "The Okeh Ellington", the Decca Collection, the RCA box set and this, you may have nearly all of his studio recordings.

If I counted right and kept track of all unissued takes there will be 251 tracks.

Overview of the complete as possible of Duke Ellington's 1924-1946 studio recordings.

Earliest Ellington 1924-1926

The Blu Disc, Up-to-date, Paramount and Gennett recordings are on Masters Of Jazz vol. 1

Brunswick/Vocalion 1926-1931

Early Ellington The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Duke Ellington 1926-1931 3 CD set

Discovered later and therefore not included:

27772-B Tishomingo Blues on Jazz Oracle 8047 A Gift From The President

E31372 “Office Take ” Oklahoma Stomp unissued

Pathé, Banner, Cameo Perfect, Romeo, Okeh and Columbia 1925-1931

There has never been a complete reissue of this Sony owned material. There are 97 tracks in total. 94 of them are included on Masters of Jazz vol. 1-12. 50 are included in "The OKeH Ellington"

Not included:

150586-1 Double check stomp (never reissued take)

10357-3 Rockin’ Chair (never reissued take)

10359-3 I’m so in love with you (this would have been track 1 of vol. 13 that never appeared)

It is on classics 605 Duke Ellington 1930-1931

Classics 539, 542, 550, 559, 569, 577, 586, 596, 605 and Neatwork RP 2009 and RP 2018 cover the same period and also have 94 tracks out of 97. But 108079-1 East St. Louis Toodle-oo is missing. It is on Masters Of Jazz Volume 3.

Masters Of Jazz also includes movie soundtracks that explains why MoJ has one CD more.

RCA Victor 1927-1934, 1940-1942, 1944-1946

The Complete RCA Victor recordings 1927-1973 (24 CD set)

1927-1934 disc 1-7

1940-1942 disc 8-13

1944-1946 disc 14-17

Missing:

053623-2 A Lull At Dawn on Neatwork RP 2051 Duke Ellington volume 8 track 14

053624-2 breakdown Ready Eddy Neatwork RP 2051 Duke Ellington volume 8 track 17

CD 10 track 22 = CD 10 track 23

CD 10 track 24 = CD 11 track 3

Hit Of The Week 1930

Sing You Sinners and St. James Infirmary

Masters Of Jazz Volume 9

Brunswick, Vocalion, Columbia, Okeh, Master and Variety 1932-1940

Mosaic 11-24? The Complete 1932-1940 Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra

Mosaic 7-235 The Complete 1936-1940 Small Group Sessions

Decca London 1933

Classics 637 Duke Ellington and his orchestra 1933

Neatwork RP 2033 Duke Ellington volume 4 (1933-1936)

These CD’s Also include both takes of “A souvenir of Duke Ellington”

The Decca Session is also included on "The British Connexion 1933-40" On Jazz Unlimited

Musicraft 1946

CD “Happy-Go-Lucky-Local” Musicraft MVCD-52

My Old Flame with Mae West was not a commercial recording it is on Classics 646 Duke Ellington and his orchestra 1933-1935 track 15.

The Duke Ellington solo version of “I’ve got to be a rug cutter” is not a commercial recording either. It is included on Le Chant Du Monde’s L’histoire du jazz vocal 1911-1940 CD 7 track 4.

Based on The New Duke Ellington Story On Records (New Desor) by Luciano Massagli and Giovanni M. Volonté, The New Desor Correction sheets (www.depanorama.net/desor/index.htm), articles in The Duke Ellington Music Society Bulletin edited by Sjef Hoefsmit (www.depanorama.net/dems/)

and my own collection.

Thanks. That's very helpful. I was considering going through the new Desor to find this out. One of the great advantages of the internet is the sharing of research. I think when I get the Mosaic I will have everything except the 47 numbers left off the Okeh Ellington.