Customer Reviews

The Duke at Fargo, 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Edition

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1940 was Duke's big year.
He had the greatest big band that ever was: an outstanding trumpet section,made of Wallace Jones,Rex Stewart and Ray Nance;three giants of the trombone,Juan Tizol,Lawrence Brown and the magician,Mr Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton;the most superlative reed section on earth:Otto Hardwicke and the Rabbitt,Johnny Hodges on alto,Harry Carney on baritone sax,Barney Bigard on clarinet and...Ben Webster on tenor sax!!!!and a prodigious rhythm section made of himself on piano,Fred Guy on guitar,Sonny Greer on drums and the amazing Jimmy Blanton on bass.
It's no surprise if Duke recorded during that year the most incredible amount of masterpieces that were ever done in jazz during such a short period: "Jack the bear","Bojangles","portrait of Bert Williams","Cotton tail","All too soon","Harlem air shaft","Dusk","Never no lament","Warm valley","sepia panorama","Conga brava","Concerto for Cootie","Blue goose","Morning glory","In a mellowtone","across the track blues" and "Ko ko".
This concert,recorded November 7,1940 in Fargo,North Dakota,is a real gem: it offers you the rare opportunity to listen in very good conditions to the Band playing live,for dancers.The music is superlative.The most magnificent orchestra of all times creates here some of the most advanced music that ever was.This is a real "must",something every jazz lover should own.
You know that Duke spent some 50 years creating magnificent music,but 1940 was really THE YEAR.Many musicians never achieved what Duke did in a few months during their life.So,let the music take you;let's tap your feet listening at this incredibly swinging music.Let's listen to Sonny Greer like you never did;let's listen to the immense Ben Webster blowing some of the most beautiful things ever played on a tenor sax;let's listen to this real "all stars" band,a band made of sixteen of the greatest musicians in the world of jazz.

What an incredible experience--to be on stage with Duke's finest ensemble for five unrushed, high-spirited hours. Never has the music of this period seemed more "alive." For the first time, I can understand why the Blanton-Webster edition of the band has received so much attention--and veneration--from the jazz historians and Ellington scholars.

This elaborate edition is certainly a worthwhile investment, but should price be an obstacle, have no hesitation about picking up the Spanish import, "The Complete Legendary Fargo Concert," at less than half the price. The audio quality, all things considered (the recording was made by amateurs with no intention of commercial release), is miraculous, with the tones of Blanton's bass coming through with greater clarity than do the bass frequencies on Charlie Parker studio recordings made ten years later.

I want to write a short and sweet review that I wish existed when I bought this.

Unfortunately, the music on this box set has been No-Noised and the bass has been boosted to occasionally clipping levels. Stay away.

The release of this concert that I can recommend can be found here.

Thank you.