Yes, Duke's nadir is only such when compared to his exalted level. If you buy this set you will get a certain amount of pleasure out of it. There's very little on it that sounds like Duke's actual writing - lots more Strayhorn and other people. The band plays well (at the moment I'm listening to Strayhorn's All Day Long) but a little anonymously. Everything sounds more like standard Big Band practice than what is usual with Ellington - the last chorus of this piece, for example, with its shout brass and drum set-ups. It's OK. There are some ridiculous Mambos, which an Ellington fanatic will appreciate for their incongruity. Paul Gonsalves solos a fair amount, but he hadn't yet become the priceless Ellingtonian that he would become in a few years. The solo set is essential, but you can get it by itself. There's a fabulously relaxed Rockin' In Rhythm (one of two), which, it seems, came from a rehearsal take. There are several vocals, nearly all of which border on the dreadful. You get the idea. I could never recommend this set, but, on the other hand, if you really love Ellington, you don't want to be unaware of what he was doing for even only three years of his creative life.
