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It is only fitting that the greatest figure in 20th-century popular music is the subject of this most wondrous box set. Across 24 discs, the majesty and unparalleled genius of Duke Ellington is on vivid display. Listening to the box from start to finish in chronological order, you discover a composer, bandleader, and pianist who consistently and daringly pushed his music ever forward. As fascinating as it is to hear his artistic progression as it unfolds, it is even more remarkable to digest these CDs out of order. During the course of 50 years, Ellington's creative wellspring gushed an amazing variety of music delivered in a multitude of different styles and settings; yet somehow, someway, it all sounds like Ellington. Whereas some artists find the blues idiom constricting, Duke saw it as a highly malleable and versatile foundation.
The first seven CDs chronicle the maestro's Cotton Club days and his theatrical, visceral "jungle music," which was created as part of the club's African-themed stage shows and "tribal" dances. Even at this early stage, Ellington showed a tremendous ability to create expressive moods and keen imagery through his compositions as well as an uncanny understanding of his players' strengths. Six discs are dedicated to the early 1940s, when tenor sax player Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton elevated the band to new heights. The next three CDs cover the mid-1940s, when the Duke began experimenting with longer pieces. Another combines mid-1940s all-star jams with a full 1952 Seattle concert. All three of Ellington's Sacred Concerts follow, a bold, pioneering fusion of jazz and church, complete with choir and dance, that used the language of music to eloquently sermonize on the subjects of personal freedom, spirituality, and communication with God. The collection wraps up with four discs' worth of late-period magic, including the exotic and dramatic Far East Suite and an homage to recently departed Billy Strayhorn.
This stunning package also serves as a tribute to all of the superior musicians that found a home in the Ellington Orchestra. Special mention must be made of altoist Johnny Hodges, who first recorded with Ellington in 1928 and stayed with him (except for a brief respite in the 1950s) until his death in 1970. Throughout, his sublime tone and fertile imagination epitomize the beauty, inventiveness, and dignity that is the essence of jazz. Also of note are the many superb compositions and arrangements from Strayhorn, who managed to carve a vital niche for himself while remaining true to the sound of Ellingtonia.
The accompanying 128-page full-color book overflows with wonderful photos and insightful essays that explore Ellington from every possible angle. The discographical information is delivered with excruciating detail and the package as a whole exudes love, devotion, and respect.
Somewhere deep inside the book, producer Orrin Keepnews writes, "When dealing with the music of Edward Kennedy Ellington, there is no excuse for stopping anywhere short of perfection." Mission accomplished. --Marc Greilsamer
(Casual listeners might prefer the single-CD sampler.)
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding set!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Audio CD)
Congratulations are in order for producers Keepnews and Lasker, and for BMG. If only Sony would issue it's Ellington holdings (Columbia, Brunswick, Okeh, etc.) in such a comprehensive and intelligent fashion! The remastering is fantastic. The digital transfers are wonderfully clear and full-bodied (for a sample of other work by Steven Lasker check out reissues of Ellington's 1920s Brunswick recordings on the GRP/Decca Jazz label), and easily superior to any previous issues of these recordings. The music, whether from the 1920s, 30s, 40s or 60s is some of the best in the Ellington catalog. The annotations are meticulous and the 124 page book is beautifully illustrated.
REVISED - 2006 - O.K., I was a little excited when I wrote my earlier review. I still stand by everything I wrote, though with a few qualifications. First, the other reviewers here are correct about the packaging. I replaced the cardboard sleeves with jewel cases. Second, the content of the book is excellent. However, it is not bound well. I've been extremely careful with mine, but a few pages are coming loose. Third, I think the remastering on the first thirteen discs is excellent. I've been listening to 78-era recordings for many years. The background hiss is inevitable. To remove all of the hiss would leave a boxy and compressed sound, and that's as grating to me as the hiss seems to be for others. Unfortunately, I don't think discs 14 through 16 in this set meet the same high standards of the first thirteen. To my ears, they have some of that dreadful compressed quality. They are much better than previous issues, but not as good as the first thirteen discs (a different engineer performed the CEDAR noise reduction on discs 14-16). Finally, discs 17 through 24 are a mixed bag. Some of the music is not as essential as the earlier material (e.g. the Tanglewood concert). Also, the remastering on the last four discs is a little thin and abrasive (compare to the excellent work on the "Far East Suite" portion of the set - again, a different engineer is at work here). That said, I do not regret buying this set. I bought it mainly for the first sixteen discs (though the Far East Suite and Strayhorn tribute are highlights of Ellington's late period). The music is always more important to me than the packaging, and for the most part the sound is stunning.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A stunning tribute to the man and his music.,
This review is from: The Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Audio CD)
Very few mammoth box sets are worth the money, simply because very few artists are worth the attention. Duke Ellington's music is dirt-cheap even at these prices. These recordings are, of course, part of our everyday musical language -- but in RCA's remastered sound, it's like meeting old friends for the first time. Ellington's practical knowledge of recording technology and techniques was ahead of its time, and RCA-Victor always had the best recording engineers and equipment. Even the earliest recordings are amazing for the brightness of their treble and the heft in their bass register. No longer do you feel as though you're listening to the Blanton-Webster band through a wall of mud -- this music comes across as fresh and newly-minted as the day it was played. BMG's oversized accompanying book is a virtual Ellington encyclopedia, with complete track-by-track information down to the approximate times of day the sides were recorded and lists of soloists. An essential document which one hopes will be eventually reprinted in a more "user friendly" size for those who like to flip for information while they listen. Of course, no one need talk much about the music itself. Suffice to say it is among the best the 20th century had to offer, and will still have a lot to say to us in the 21st. Few bands played such divine compositions with as much sophistication, creativity, emotion, and sheer unbridled energy as Ellington's band. All in all, a stunning tribute to a man whose Pulitzer Prize came over a quarter of a century too late. Fortunately the music, thanks to BMG's labor of love (and, admittedly, commerce), is the only prize that really matters. Thank you, BMG, and thank you, Mr. Ellington!
31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unparalleled music - cheap packaging,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Centennial Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Audio CD)
You can't go wrong with the man who was truly 'Beyond Category' - the greatest musician in American history, and, very likely, the greatest artist in American history -period - the great Duke Ellington.RCA got a lot right with this set: the music - all 24 cds worth - is amazing, the remastering of the recordings from the 30s and40s is astonishing, and the lavishly illustrated booklet provides a comprehensive overview of the Duke's career. The one thing that RCA got wrong, however, was the packaging of the individual cds. Each disc is enclosed in a cheap, flimsy, cardboard sleeve instead of in a jewel box. You can't get a disc out of its cardboard prison without reaching in and getting your fingerprints all over it . You can't store your new Ellington cds with the rest of your collection, because the sleeves won't fit in your cd shelf, nor will they stand up straight like a jewel box will. Even if you do stack them at the end of your row of normal cds, you still have to sort through them to find the disc you want, because you can't read the spine like you can on a normal jewel box. If you are spending this kind of money to buy a box set, I suspect that your interest in the Duke will last for a lifetime. I guarantee that the cheap cardboard sleeves in this set won't. If you are spending this kind of money to buy a box set, you shouldn't have to buy 24 empty jewel boxes to preserve your investment. That's what I plan to do, however. I suspect that many others will do the same.
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