The Bay Big Band – Plays Duke Ellington (1960/2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 32:39 minutes | 583 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Omega Records
Bay’s band shared the World’s Fair stage with numerous major American jazz and pop stars, including Benny Goodman, and Omega, a small American jazz label, licensed a slew of Bay’s Belgian recordings for release in the U.S. Unlike many European bands, which offered loving but pale imitations of American bands, Bay’s not only produced flawless duplicates of hits by Basie, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and others, but staked out their own territory as well. On his Latin-flavored recordings, Bay sounds like he could go head-to-head with Perez Prado in a battle of bands.
Read more![Javon Jackson, David Hazeltine, Tony Reedus, Paul Gill - Sugar Hill - The Music Of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (2007) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download](https://i0.wp.com/imghd.xyz/images/2023/04/04/f5GZJmz32aaef3c8f4bec56.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1)
Javon Jackson, David Hazeltine, Tony Reedus, Paul Gill – Sugar Hill – The Music Of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (2007)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 54:08 minutes | 1,17 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Chesky Records
The acclaimed New York saxophonist Javon Jackson leads a celebration of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, whose collaboration began in 1938 and continued until Strayhorn’s death in 1967. Jackson is joined for this session by arranger/pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Tony Reedus. Together they perform well-known compositions such as “Caravan,” “Chelsea Bridge,” and “Lotus Blossom,” as well as tunes that are not usually played by quartets such as “In My Solitude.” The two soloists, Jackson and Hazeltine explore the bluesier and moodier side of Ellington’s music as well as ballads like “Warm Valley” and slightly more up-tempo tunes like “In a Sentimental Mood.”
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Duke Ellington – Supreme Jazz (2006)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 65:54 mins | Scans included | 3,68 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 1,15 GB
Features 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 multichannel surround sound | Label: Membran Music Ltd.
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 two aspects of his career were related; Ellington used his band as a musical laboratory for his new compositions and shaped his writing specifically to showcase the talents of his bandmembers, many of whom remained with him for long periods. Ellington also wrote film scores and stage musicals, and several of his instrumental works were adapted into songs that became standards. In addition to touring year in and year out, he recorded extensively, resulting in a gigantic body of work that was still being assessed a quarter century after his death.
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Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1962) [Analogue Productions 2010]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 34:44 minutes | Scans included | 1,07 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 721 MB
For this classic encounter, Duke Ellington “sat in” with the John Coltrane Quartet for a set dominated by Ellington’s songs; some performances have his usual sidemen (bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Sam Woodyard) replacing Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones in the group. Although it would have been preferable to hear Coltrane play in the Duke Ellington orchestra instead of the other way around, the results are quite rewarding. Their version of “In a Sentimental Mood” is a high point, and such numbers as “Take the Coltrane,” “Big Nick,” and “My Little Brown Book” are quite memorable. Ellington always recognized talent, and Coltrane seemed quite happy to be recording with a fellow genius.
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Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – Masterpieces by Ellington (1951) [Analogue Productions 2014]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 55:38 minutes | Front Cover | 2,23 GB
or DSD64 2.0 Mono (from SACD-ISO to Tracks.dsf) > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | Front Cover | 2,19 GB
or FLAC Mono (carefully converted & encoded to tracks) 24bit/96kHz | Front Cover | 1,09 GB
Masterpieces by Ellington is the first LP album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded for the Columbia label in 1950. It was one of the earliest 12-inch LPs to take advantage of the extended time available and consisted of four tracks, three of them “concert arrangements” of Ellington standards and one, “The Tattooed Bride”, a recent tone poem. The original 1951 release under the “Columbia Masterworks” banner featured a red cover which was replaced by the more modern blue cover in 1956. This album was re-released with additional bonus tracks recorded at later sessions from 1951.
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Duke Ellington – Blues In Orbit (1960) [MFSL 1999]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 36:02 minutes | Scans included | 1,47 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 889 MB
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab # UDCD 757
Blues in Orbit is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia label in 1959 and released in 1960.
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Duke Ellington and Count Basie – First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (1961) [Reissue 2002]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 73:23 minutes | Scans included | 3,00 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 1,53 GB
At first glance this collaboration should not have worked. The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Orchestras had already been competitors for 25 years but the leaders’ mutual admiration (Ellington was one of Basie’s main idols) and some brilliant planning made this a very successful and surprisingly uncrowded encounter. On most selections Ellington and Basie both play piano (their interaction with each other is wonderful) and the arrangements allowed the stars from both bands to take turns soloing. “Segue in C” is the highpoint but versions of “Until I Met You,” “Battle Royal” and “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” are not far behind.
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Duke Ellington And Coleman Hawkins – Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (1963) [APO 2010]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 Stereo > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 38:54 minutes | Scans included | 1,67 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 838 MB
Analogue Productions Remaster 2010
This set documents a historic occasion. Although Coleman Hawkins had been an admirer of Duke Ellington’s music for at least 35 years at this point and Ellington had suggested they record together at least 20 years prior to their actual meeting in 1962, this was their first (and only) meeting on record. Although it would have been preferable to hear the great tenor performing with the full orchestra, his meeting with Ellington and an all-star group taken out of the big band does feature such greats as Ray Nance on cornet and violin, trombonist Lawrence Brown, altoist Johnny Hodges, and baritonist Harry Carney. High points include an exuberant “The Jeep Is Jumpin’,” an interesting remake of “Mood Indigo,” and a few new Ellington pieces. This delightful music is recommended in one form or another.
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Duke Ellington, John Coltrane – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1962/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 34:55 minutes | 1,52 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Impulse!
Two titans of jazz come together in a rare and highly acclaimed collaboration, recorded in 1962. At the time, Duke Ellington had been working with various veteran jazz artists of the day such as Louis Armstrong and Count Basie, but John Coltrane was half Ellington’s age and not nearly as famous at the time as he was going to be. For these small group sessions, each headliner brought his own bassist and drummer, who play in various combinations on the seven songs.
Read moreDuke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Side By Side (1959/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Side By Side (1959/2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 46:13 minutes | 2,06 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Verve Reissues
A follow-up album to Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues. Ellington takes the back seat to saxophonist Hodges in this jam session album, only playing in three of the nine tracks. The album features Hodges, a prominent member of Ellington’s legendary band, backed by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano among other notable musicians. The ablum includes works, “Let’s Fall in Love,” “Just Squeeze Me (But Don’t Tease Me),” and “Going Up”.
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Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – Concert In The Virgin Islands (1965/2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 37:21 minutes | 1,39 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records
This lush, Caribbean-themed collection created a new standard for big band music. The recording includes four original compositions representing the “Virgin Island Suite” and new readings of classics from Ellington’s extensive repertoire. The pieces on this set are as impressive as the stellar line up of musicians including Cat Anderson, Jimmy Hamilton, Billy Strayhorn, among others. The inspired performances and textured nuances are captured with the highest fidelity.
Read moreDuke Ellington and His Orchestra – A Drum Is a Woman (1957) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – A Drum Is a Woman (1957)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 47:55 minutes | 1,07 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Columbia – Legacy
Duke Ellington’s fanciful tale of Carribee Joe and his drum, which evolved into a woman known as Madam Zajj (and a very abstract telling of the evolution of jazz) became a television special in the late ’50s but does not translate all that well to record. Dominated by vocals and narration, the music often plays a backseat to the story, which is worth hearing twice at the most. – Scott Yanow
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Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – …And His Mother Called Him Bill (1968/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 44:28 minutes | 1,63 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Okeh
When Billy Strayhorn died of cancer in 1967, Duke Ellington was devastated. His closest friend and arranger had left his life full of music and memories. As a tribute, Ellington and his orchestra almost immediately began recording a tribute to Strayhorn, using the late arranger’s own compositions and charts. The album features well-known and previously unrecorded Strayhorn tunes that showcased his range, versatility, and, above all, the quality that Ellington admired him most for: his sensitivity to all of the timbral, tonal, and color possibilities an orchestra could bring to a piece of music. The set opens with a vehicle for Johnny Hodges called “Snibor,” written in 1949. A loose blues tune, its intervals showcase Hodges against a stinging I-IV-V backdrop and turnaround, with a sweeping set of colors in the brass section before Cootie Williams takes a break and hands it back to Hodges to take out. The melancholy “Blood Count” was written in 1967 for the band’s Carnegie Hall concert. It proved to be his final composition and chart. Hodges again gets the call and blows deep, low, and full of sadness and even anger. The music is moody, poignant, and full of poise, expressing a wide range of feelings as memories from different periods in the composers’ and bandleaders’ collective careers. Given all the works Strayhorn composed, this one — with its muted trumpet section set in fours against Hodges’ blues wailing — is both wistful and chilling. Also included here is a remake of 1951’s “Rock Skippin’ at the Blue Note,” in a spicy, funky version with a shimmering cymbal ride from Sam Woodyard and a punched up, bleating Cootie Williams solo as well as one from Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, smoothing out the harmonic edges of the brass section (which features a ringing break from John Sanders). In cut time, the tune shuffles in the groove with Ellington accenting on every eight as the brass and reeds mix it up joyously. There are two versions of “Lotus Blossom.” Ellington claimed it was the piece Strayhorn most liked to hear him play. The LP version is a quiet, restrained, meditative rendition played solo by Ellington, with the most subtle and yet emotional nuances he ever presented on a recording as a pianist. Finally, closing the album is a bonus track, a trio version played in a whispering tone with only baritone saxophonist Harry Carney and bassist Aaron Bell accompanying Ellington. The piece was supposedly recorded as the band was packing up to leave. Its informality and soulful verve feel like they are an afterthought, an unwillingness to completely let go, a eulogy whose final words are questions, elegantly stated and met with only the echo of their last vibrations ringing in an empty room, full of wondering, longing, and helplessness, but above all the point of the questions themselves: “Is this enough?” or “Can there ever be enough to pay an adequate tribute to this man?” They are interesting questions, because only five years later we would all be saying the same thing about Ellington. For a man who issued well over 300 albums, this set is among his most profoundly felt and very finest recorded moments. – Thom Jurek
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Duke Ellington And His Orchestra – The Symphonic Ellington (1963/2011)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 41:29 minutes | 1,56 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records
Ellington’s revolutionizing vision of incorporating a symphony orchestra in his work unfolds with The Symphonic Ellington. This breathtaking recording is full of colorful arrangements and inspired solos. “Night Creatures,” the opening three part movement features Ellington’s effort to “make the symphony swing.” The ingenious album is a true highlight in Duke Ellington’s long established career.
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Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – The Popular Duke Ellington (1966/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 42:14 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © RCA – Legacy
The Popular Duke Ellington is a studio album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington featuring many of the tunes associated with his orchestra rerecorded in 1966 and released on the RCA label in 1966.
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