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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ray Nance and Jimmy Hamilton, sTeAl ThE sHoW, May 22, 2005
This record is 36 minutes of pure Ellingtonia via Africana/Bossa. Unlike his other suites dealing with other cultutes (Afro-Eurasian Ecipse, Latin American Suite, New Orleans Suite, Far East Suite, Goulteaus Suite, Togo Brava Suite, Virgin Island Suite) he uses more than just his normal orchestra. What makes the suites listed above so brilliant is that he ifuses Ellingtonia via New Orleans without New Orleans instruments, of depects the feeling and chours of Latin America without percussion or congas. This one is different, with 2 or so percussionists here and there on about half the album. This 36 minute suite is equally as brilliant, although it feels very short. Ellington songs here are reminisent of his 20's work (Jungle Period), which is thrilling, "Moonglow", and "Conga" are examples of this. The sound quality is right on the money, and not to mention, to me, this is the best orchestra he ever had. The mid-late 60's, it included - Cootie Williams, Jimmy Hamilton, Ray Nance, Larwence Brown, Johnny Hodges, Harey Carney, Ernie Shepard (wickedly awesome bass player), Paul Gonsalves, Russel Procope, among others. Of all of those players, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet) and Ray Nance (Trumpet) perform at thier peeks throughout the suite. There are 3 Billy Strayhorn songs here, all very good and his "Black Veil" became a standard. Essential
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
sweet treat for your ears, May 28, 2005
I've been wanting to hear "Afro Bossa" since I read about it in an Ellington biography. All other references had been positive so I ordered it a couple months before it was released; it finally arrived after one postponement and on first listen seemed "loungy." OK, maybe I'm missing something so I listened again to pick out a few favorites, remembering an interesting fiddle tune and one of those lovely Strayhorn minor key things. OK, so there's definitely some keepers. The third listen and I'm completely transported by this record, best I've heard in a long while. It's like a number of other memorable Ellington listening experiences where you want to go back and hear it again and again. A great band, short and consistently interesting arrangements with that wild whatever it is that makes Ellington so fine. I'll agree with an earlier reviewer that Ray Nance and Jimmy Hamilton are a bit more to the fore in these "exotic" compositions. But it's really about the compositions and arrangements. Plenty of goosepimple moments, particularly Strayhorn's grand entrances on "Absinthe." Treat yourself!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What else to say?? I tell you NOW! , October 20, 2006
As volumes are written about "Sir Duke", it is only appropriate to recount that this recording, entirely unique in the tradition of Ellingtonia.
The "jungle" fase is well documented, but..just to comment, this recording is very elemental, the arrangements , melodies and harmonic content very modern and more as a Sun Ra recording from late 50s through early 60s. QUITE progressive. The counterpoint intriguing, the chords extend to where , even as the music is completely "consonant", it infers the "dissonance" that Le Sun Ra's sidemen would occasionally flavour.
Billy Strayhorn's solo on the "mandolin-piano" another lovely touch!
Ray Nance violin excursions incredible emotive, unpolished but exciting! Nice pizzacato work too Ray! Much percussion and poliritmos, more Africa than swing, though still the blues occasionally "prevail".
bossa, tango, bolero,cha-cha-cha, all given the "elegant Ellington" treatment.
That the CD format FINALLY avaliable, NOSSA!!!! What took so LONG?
Not only for Elllington fans, but for those who like adventurous , progressive sounds, this recording should be in your collection to "surprise" your contro-corrente associates!
This recording would also go big with the fans of soundtrack musics, and the "new" genre of appreciation of the musics now referred as "space-age lounge sounds" (oh, we label everything, dont we??)
tudo é som, viva mestre Duke! (100000000 stars!)
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~ Duke Ellington
~ Duke Ellington
~ Duke Ellington
~ Duke Ellington
~ Duke Ellington
by Duke Ellington 
