The spiritual side of Ellington (the composer and the man) is well-documented and that too could easily get its own Top 10 list. Here are takes on his most famous tunes. Come Sunday” from Black, Brown and Beige, 1958 (Duke Ellington Orchestra with Mahalia Jackson). If that doesn't work, please visit our help page. 2 ) “Tiger Rag,” 1929 (Duke Ellington and the Jungle Band). The best album ever made by Duke Ellington—which is to say, one of the best albums in jazz—is also one of his least-known. The tune which was taken from Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra's 1941 album "Hollywood" was included in the soundtrack of the 2008 video game release Grand Theft Auto IV from the fictitious in-game jazz music radio station "JNR 108.5 (Jazz Nation Radio)". A Duke Ellington Panorama (1943) Duke released a ton of singles with almost every record label during his first decade in music. Although large aggregations had begun to appear in the late teens, these were dance orchestras playing the popular songs and novelty pieces of the day, with nary a smattering of jazz. Duke Ellington Duke Ellington biography and discography. Join the mailing list for tools, resources & ideas - all free, Join the Jazzfuel newsletter and get the free PDF in your inbox today. He did, however, compose a number of the Duke Ellington band’s best-loved songs, including “Chelsea Bridge” and “Take the ‘A’ Train”, which was the Orchestra’s theme tune. This may give me a soft spot for the track, but I think that the power of the composition and of Mahalia Jackson’s voice would lead most people to the same reverent conclusion nonetheless. Listen to Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Radio, free! One interpretation of this, in the context of the song and its lyrics, might be the idea that jazz can be complex or technically impressive, but it remains essentially worthless without those magical, hard-to-define ingredients: real feeling, attitude and swing. Strayhorn's fruitful partnership with Ellington lasted 30 years, but the most famous song it yielded was written shortly after the two met. This crossword clue "___ Indigo" (Duke Ellington song) was discovered last seen in the January 7 2021 at the Daily Pop Crosswords Crossword. Hodges played a short solo feature on the original recording with the Blanton-Webster edition of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, on which Ivie Anderson provided the vocal, and the alto saxophone player takes centre stage in heartbreaking fashion on the live instrumental version from the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. His influence on classical music, popular music, and, of course, jazz, simply cannot be overstated. Complete your Duke Ellington collection. Thanks for checking out this countdown of 10 of the best Duke Ellington songs of all time. My first in-depth exposure to Duke the pianist (outside the context of his Orchestra) came through this record. Later, having moved to New York and now leading his own band, he secured a residency playing for dancers at Harlem’s famous Cotton Club, which he held between 1926 and 1931. Duke Ellington’s music was always steeped in blues feeling, but he also wrote a number of actual 12-bar blues tunes. In fact, he is arguably one of America’s finest composers, regardless of genre. After the Carnegie Hall performance received negative reviews, Ellington reworked the suite and re-recorded much of the material on a 1958 album of the same name featuring Mahalia Jackson, civil rights activist and ‘the Queen of Gospel’. He described it as “a parallel to the history of the Negro in America.”. Ellington used the tune as the closing number on most of his concerts, and described Strayhorn as “my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine”. At 15, whilst working as a soda dispenser, he wrote “Soda Fountain Rag”, despite the fact that he could not yet read music. “Satin Doll” was written with Billy Strayhorn, who was Ellington’s close collaborator for almost 30 years. An entertaining overview of some of Duke Ellington's most popular material, 16 Most … Duke Ellington - The Official Web Site Official site maintained by CMG Music. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous you don't want it." From the gnarly swing of “Janet” to the aching lyricism of “Melancholia,” this whole album is a gem, but I have a particular soft spot for this soothing, harmonically and melodically rich composition. Your email address will not be published. 8 ) “Fleurette Africaine (African Flower)” from Money Jungle, 1962 (trio with Charles Mingus, Max Roach). The Duke Ellington discography contains more than a few all-time classic albums and, while his music is often described as “beyond category”, Ellington’s own compositions have proved incredibly popular with all types of jazz musicians, and they continue to be performed and recorded extensively as part of the standard repertoire. Your email address will not be published. Duke Ellington showed musical talent from an early age, although he was not initially convinced that music was his calling. Based on the chord sequence to “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin, it features a classic two-chorus tenor solo from Webster as well as a famous soli (a featured ensemble section written in rhythmic unison for a section of a big band) from all of the saxophones. Ellington was actually uncomfortable with the word ‘jazz’, and felt that being described as ‘beyond category’ – an expression coined by his colleague Billy Strayhorn – was the greatest compliment that could be paid to his music. Ivie Anderson, who sang with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for a decade, provided vocals on the original recording. The two aspects of his career were related; Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his new compositions and shaped his…. Looking for ways to grow your career as a jazz musician. He described it as, “a parallel to the history of the Negro in America.”, After the Carnegie Hall performance received negative reviews, Ellington reworked the suite and re-recorded much of the material on a 1958 album of the same name featuring Mahalia Jackson, civil rights activist and ‘, The song is also reprised, at various tempos, throughout the 1965 album, He did, however, compose a number of the Duke Ellington band’s best-loved songs, including “, Ellington used the tune as the closing number on most of his concerts, and described Strayhorn as. The song’s title was apparently a saying of trumpeter Bubber Miley, an early member of his Orchestra, who died of tuberculosis in 1932, the year of the song’s release. As well as leading his famed orchestra from the piano chair, he is considered by many to be, At 15, whilst working as a soda dispenser, he wrote “, It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), “the expression of a sentiment which prevailed among jazz musicians at the time.”, Ellington was actually uncomfortable with the word ‘jazz’, and felt that being described as ‘beyond category’ – an expression coined by his colleague. 5 ) “Ko-Ko,” 1940  (Duke Ellington Orchestra). Required fields are marked *. He was born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899, into a middle class black family. Duke Ellington composed over 3000 songs, including: "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing", "Sophisticated Lady", "… read more 29 Song Chart Appearances. "Limehouse Blues" was a chart entry on Victor in August 1931, then in the winter of 1932, Ellington scored a Top Ten hit on Brunswick with one of his best-remembered songs, "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," featuring the vocals of Ivie Anderson. From 7 people Caravan Duke Ellington. 4 ) “Solitude,” 1934 (Duke Ellington Orchestra). The song features on Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, which sees the great singer accompanied by Duke and the Orchestra, and has also been recorded by everyone from The Ink Spots to Willie Nelson, George Shearing to Paul McCartney. From 11 people Fleurette Africaine Duke Ellington. No sharing. Duke Ellington. Ellington was an outstanding composer. Dr. Lewis Porter turned my coat to this in graduate school (as part of the lineage of the tune from the Original Dixieland Jazz Band through the sophistication of Art Tatum in 1933 and on to Charlie Parker and others after that). Indeed, it pains me to leave out “Cotton Tail,” “Harlem Airshaft” and easily 20 others. Duke led his Orchestra from 1923 until his death in 1974 and, as you’d expect over such a long period, musicians came and went. 6 ) “Reflections In D” from Piano Reflections, 1953 (duet with Wendell Marshall). Of course, being such a prolific composer, there are many more out the that you can discover. “Never No Lament” was recorded as an instrumental number in 1940, but songwriter Bob Russell put lyrics to it two years later and it is now more commonly known as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”. I admire your restraint as much as your descriptions of why and how the music moves you. Duke Ellington’s Best Songs As picked by the jam community, 2011–2015 ... Duke Ellington. Ellington and the Cotton Club were at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, an explosion of culture, art and intellectualism centred around the African American community in Harlem, an area of Manhattan, in the 1920s. This was recorded less than 2 weeks before Ellington’s celebrated collaboration with John Coltrane, and collective these two albums demonstrate Duke’s funky piano and era-bending versatility. by Sam Braysher | Jazz Music, Jazz Stories. In fact, the informal and intimate nature of their working relationship meant that it was not always clear who wrote what, and it has been suggested that Strayhorn did not always receive proper credit for his work. And soulful too, especially with Bubber Miley’s famous wah-wah trumpet playing. (A second version of the piece was a chart entry on Victor in March 1932.) Jazzfuel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Duke Ellington (Edward Kennedy Ellington, April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974) was an American jazz composer, pianist and bandleader, one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music. Duke Ellington was one of the most important creative forces in the music of the twentieth century. From 12 people Isfahan Duke Ellington. , which sees the great singer accompanied by Duke and the Orchestra, and has also been recorded by everyone from The Ink Spots to Willie Nelson, George Shearing to Paul McCartney. This track in particular also shows how gritty the band could get, featuring quite possibly the nastiest Johnny Hodges I have ever heard, plus some soulful organ by Wild Bill Davis. It's a fine sampling of Ellington's most familiar melodies and works as a good introduction for novices. Duke Ellington and his orchestra playing this awesome tune in 1943. Blanton was hugely influential on his instrument, pioneering the bass as a soloing instrument, amongst various other innovations, but he died of tuberculosis in 1942, aged just 23. I'm Beginning to See the Light - Duke Ellington, Hodges, Johnny; $0.99 on iTunes 9. (a featured ensemble section written in rhythmic unison for a section of a big band) from all of the saxophones. Find Duke Ellington song information on AllMusic. Duke Ellington was the most important composer in the history of jazz as well as being a bandleader who held his large group together continuously for almost 50 years. The expression was coined by New Orleans innovator Jelly Roll Morton, and refers to the influence that Afro-Latin and Cuban sounds have had upon jazz since the … This is a segment from the film Reveille with Beverly from 1943; the song was composed in 1939. Duke Ellington's popular compositions set the bar for generations of brilliant jazz, pop, theatre and soundtrack composers to come. 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