Duke Ellington

[Lazaro Vega]

Is Ellington's only recorded version of "Carolina Shout" the one Ken Dryden describes in the All Music Guide? (p.s. Also looking for a portait of James P. by Ellington if such a piece exists). Lil' help?

by Ken Dryden

Many of this three-CD set's tracks are available elsewhere, excepting three previously unreleased performances from the 1968 Newport Jazz Festival announcement party, long-unavailable recordings made specifically for Reader's Digest (plus some unreleased alternate takes), as well as unissued rehearsals for the bandleader's guest appearance with Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops. The press party is a noisy affair and the recording quality is hardly polished, as the crowd can't seem to shut up during Ellington's rollicking "Sweet Fat and That," "Satin Doll," and "Carolina Shout" (erroneously credited to Ellington instead of James P. Johnson), which is suddenly broken off by the pianist, who seems to be a tad rusty.

[EKE BBB]

There are at least two more "commercial" versions of Duke Ellington playing "Carolina Shout", besides that one included in "Live and Rare", both recorded at the Theatre des Champs Elysees, broadcast on Europe 1 (30jan65):

-one in the first concert [Jazz Club 124] included in "Two Great Concerts" (Accord 302 282)

-and one in the second concert [RTE 710434] included in "Duke Ellington & His Orchestra En Concert Avec Europe1 Theatre Des Champs Elysees" (RTE 1503-2)

There´s also another version of James P.´s masterpiece recorded on 20may64 at the Wollman Auditorium, Columbia University, and included in the "New York Concert" (MusicMasters 65122-2)... but it´s Willie the Lion Smith who´s playing piano!!!

BTW: despite the somehow lukewarm review, I do love "Live and Rare" (though I recognize it´s just for Ellington collectors)

Agustín

[EKE BBB]

BTW: "Carolina Shout" was one of Ellington´s warhorses in his early days of piano playing. The very same James P. heard him and was quite impressed.

Tonight I will check "Music is my Mistress" to quote Ellington´s comments on this piece.

[EKE BBB]

From John Edward Hasse´s "Beyond Category" (story is very similar in "Music is my Mistress"):

"...One day in about 1920, Ellington´s friend Percy "Brushes" Johnson, a drummer, invited him over to his home on T street. He told Ellington, "You´ve got to listen to this". He put James P. Johnson´s (no relation) piano roll of Carolina Shout onto the player piano. "This was, of course" Ellington recalled, "an entirely new avenue of adventure for me, and I went back every day and listened".

Always keen to learn any way he could, Ellington had his friend slow down the tempo of the roll, so he could watch every key go up and down and begin learning the piece. After a lot of practice, he could play it perfectly. Brushes Johnson took Ellington around town to show off him and the piece.

Then, probably on Nov 25, 1921, James P. Johnson himself came to town to perform at a large jazz revue at the Convention Center. After Johnson, as expected, played Carolina Shout, Ellington´s friends egged him to get up on the bandstand and "cut" the master. Ellington, "scared stiff", played the difficult piece for the older man, and when he finished, the master applauded along with Ellington´s friends. Johnson was a magnanimous musician who liked to encourage younger players.

Again realizing here was a true master from whom he could learn a lot, Ellington hovered over the piano, watching Johnson play the rest of the evening...

..."What I absorbed on that occasion might, I think, have constituted a whole semester in a conservatory"

..."

[Chuck Nessa]

Duke played this game with his fans (an ugly bunch) where he played a few bars of Carolina Shout or his "first composition" Soda Fountain Rag. It was a friggin' routine.

No matter, his touch and memory were fine. If there is a "god", let him bless DE!

[medjuck]

The Duke Ellington Story on Records (DESOR) reports 7 other instances of Duke performing Carolina Shout between '65 and '73, all but one unissued. It looks like it was a regular part of his repertoire at that time. Of course he might also have performed it earlier but by the mid 60's nearly every EKE performance was recorded by soneone so we have a better record from that time on.

[Lazaro Vega]

Thanks for the info. My discography won't read at work since we're replaced computers. Need to get it fixed. In the mean time thanks again!