Ellington -- Recollections of the Big Band Era

[Larry Kart]

Anyone else know this album of material rec. 1962-3 and not released until many years later?

http://www.amazon.com/Recollections-Big-Band-Duke-Ellington/dp/B0072KWNS8/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1407118481&sr=1-4&keywords=ellington+big+band+era

Picked up a used vinyl copy the other day, just listened to side one, and I'm delighted. The band and soloists (Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Cootie Williams, Paul Gonsalves, et al.) are in great relaxed form, as is the Ernie Shepherd-Sam Woodyard rhythm team. I would guess that the setup of recording songs associated with other bands (Charlie Barnet, Ben Bernie [!], Chick Webb, Cab Calloway, Don Redman, Guy Lombardo) and composers (Quincy Jones' "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set," Sy Oliver's "For Dancers Only") freshened up/loosened up everyone. Stanley Dance's "I was there in the studio" notes suggest as much.

[Chuck Nessa]

This is now half of a cd called "Recollections of the Big Band Era". Google should find a copy for little. Great stuff!

[Chuck Nessa]

I love this material.

[jlhoots]

U.S. or Japanese issue? Are they the same?

[jeffcrom]

If this is kind of confusing, here's the deal. In late 1962/early 1963, Ellington recorded a bunch of tunes associated with other big bands - enough for two albums. Half the material was issued on Reprise in 1965 as Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back?; the rest came out in 1974 as the Atlantic album Larry is talking about. The 1989 U.S. Atlantic CD reissue of Recollections of the Big Band Era has all the material from both albums.

I avoided these albums for years - my loss. They're full of delights, and are certainly not copies of the original recordings. Here's an example of Ellington's brilliance in reworking these tunes - on Wayne King's theme, "The Waltz You Saved For Me" (not played as waltz, by the way), the melody is stated by two saxophones. But Ellington gave Harry Carney's baritone the lead, in the high register, with Paul Gonsalves' tenor below it. It's exactly backwards from the way it's "supposed" to be scored, but it results in a unique sound.

[Chuck Nessa]

The Japanese issue seems to be only one of the 2 lps unless I missed something.

[JSngry]

For some reason, I much prefer the material on the Atlantic over that on the Reprise, even though they're from the same sessions. Go figure.

[alankin]

The material on both LPs are also on Mosaic's Ellington Reprise Recordings set.

[Jay]

Great record. I have been listening to this version of "Auld Lang Syne" as my go to version for many a New Year's Eve.

[medjuck]

Some of my favorite versions of old warhorses.

[Larry Kart]

Just realized that I bought the Reprise LP from these sessions way back when. In fact, I have almost all the Ellington Reprise LPs, which is why I hesitated over the Mosaic set until it was too late.

[gmonahan]

Like Jeffcrom, I also avoided these sessions for years, along with a lot of the other Reprise stuff, all to my loss, since there's some great music there. Luckily, I do have the Mosaic set. Sorry Larry!

gregmo

[jlhoots]

Found it, got it, 2 LPs on 1 CD.

[mr jazz]

great stuff and sounds so good on the mosaic release.

[medjuck]

IIRC The title "Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back" seemed mildly ironic in 1965.

[Hot Ptah]

IIRC The title "Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back" seemed mildly ironic in 1965.

At that time my parents were sure that they would come back, that this new stuff like the Beatles was just a passing fad.

[jazztrain]

Will the Beatles ever come back?

IIRC The title "Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back" seemed mildly ironic in 1965.

At that time my parents were sure that they would come back, that this new stuff like the Beatles was just a passing fad.

[Head Man]

Will the Beatles ever come back?

Did they ever go away?