Customer Reviews

Afro-Bossa

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

This is the first album Ellington made for Reprise records. Reprise made a big deal of creating a separate production unit for Ellington and giving him full artistic control. Ellington had also made changes to his orchestra, the most important being the return of Cootie Williams, which gave him a trumpet section featuring Williams, Ray Nance, and Cat Anderson, and the other being the addition of Ernie Shephard on bass. The arrangement with Reprise and the new personnel must have agreed with him, because he came up with an entire album of new material, based on the "theme" of afro-bossa-nova rhythm. Ellington had just left Columbia records, and his last albums for Columbia were not especially inspired. This one is. It starts with a rollicking "Afro Bossa", which Ellington dubbed the "Gut-Bucket Bolero", and continues with a highly varied series of selections reminiscent in range and quality to "Such Sweet Thunder". Solos are great throughout, especially Nance, who seems more inspired by Williams' presence, Lawrence Brown, Williams, and (of course) Hodges and Gonsalves. Cat Anderson does a nice turn of high-note trumpet work on the last cut. All in all, a fine album. It got 5 stars from DownBeat magazine when it first came out, and it's well worthy of all of them. It's a shame that this isn't more easily available.

(This review is based on the original LP, not the reissued CD)

Overview:
Afro Bossa is a rich, textured, mood drenched, jazz suite. The inspiration of the suite is Latin, African, and Brazilian music. Even though the title has the word "Bossa" in it, I would not really call this a Bossa Nova CD. On the whole, it is significantly different from something by Antonio Carlos Jobim. It is a Duke Ellington suite first, and a World/Latin/ Brazilian jazz CD second. The album is full of beautifully crafted songs from start to finish. There isn't a bad song on the album. While most critics would argue that Ellington's best days were in the 1930's and 1940's, my favorite era is hands down the 1960's. This album is another gem from this era. In the 60's Ellington partnered with all sorts of artists (J. Coltrane, L. Armstrong, M. Roach, C. Mingus, C. Bassie, C. Hawkings to name a few), and toured the world. All of this input and stimuli lead to his most creative and adventurous work. The album features a great lineup of Ellingtonian stars including (Ray Nance, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, and Cootie Williams).

Song Highlights:
Purple Gazelle - Opens with a classic Ellington piano riff. Instantly accessible, insanely catchy. Features a Cootie Williams plunger muted solo.

Sempre Amore - This features the violin play of Ray Nance. It reminds one of Django Reinhardt and Stephanne Grappelli. There is both bowing, and plucking of the violin string which is layered above the top of a tropical percussion section.

Volupte - This song is a bossa nova song. It has the classic bossa nova beat, and opens which some dreamy piano. A seductive bass line permeates throughout the song. This song definitely reminds one of Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Bonga - This song is a fast past adventure with brilliant integrated horn lines and a touch of piano. It is amazing how Ellington can combine 3 or 4 different lines into a beautiful tapestry of sound. It's the perfect backdrop for many blazing solos.

This is one of Ellington's greatest albums.

There's something magical about "Afro Bossa" even when compared to other Ellington albums. It's not as angular as "Afro-Eurasian Eclipse" or even as exotic as, say, "Far East Suite," but I enjoy this one at least as much and maybe even more than those others. Maybe it's Ray Nance's melancholy/sour violin playing on "Siempre Amore." Maybe it's Johnny Hodges's solo on "Absinthe." I can't put it to words, but I lose myself every time in the melodies, textures, arrangements, performances. It's an inspired album.

I own the limited edition Mosaic version of this recording (bought when the box set was first released and more reasonably priced). But this item represents the best of the recordings on that large scale set (in my view) and at a price your budget can handle. The compositions are great, it swings and the quality of the musicianship likely cannot be duplicated in this day and age. What large ensemble group tours together for years developing their collective skills? What group has the combined talent assembled here? Even if you can find that musical group it won't be in the jazz genre and it won't be headed by a talent comparable to Duke Ellington. Purple Giraffe is a favorite for me. Caline and Eight Veil are also fabulous. The playing? Stellar. And while you're at it download the two Mosaic tracks from these sessions that were not on this recording that have Duke (and possibly Strayhorn I've read) in a piano trio beautifully summing up the session's compositions - Resume #1 and Resume #2 - music that even your non jazz fan family and friends will likely enjoy.

I have over 70 cds of Duke's music: that's saying I'm a total fan.
After Newport 56, he got real serious, not having to provide music for dancers, already a legend, he went totally free with his men he knew so well and recording has got to be good. Afro-Bossa is a must.
I've read somewhere that Marsalis declared his admiration for this album: what else do you need ? Every minute is fine.

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!)