Customer Reviews

Ellington Uptown

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A great many things might be implied by the titling of Duke Ellington's thrice released and cherished album "Ellington Uptown," (Columbia) and the concept of something being "classy" is only one of those possibilities. Surely, Ellington was the grand conductor and maestro of the modern orchestral band, acknowledging his own favorite composers as Gershwin, Stravinsky, Debussy and Respighi-a cultural synthesis of the modern and the classical traditions if there ever was one. And so, the images of being "uptown," conjured by the subject matter of the selected pieces and the energy and thoughtful reflection involved in the bustle of the metropolis are all here, and all orchestrated with the personality and character of a symphonic journey and original masterpiece.

The organization of this CD is important: previous releases have both added and dropped material, but this is an entire view of "Ellington Uptown," resplendent as a complete artistic vision. The album opens with "Skin Deep," a crowd pleasing and often vigorous arrangement where the composer is also the drummer, and Louis Bellson's extended drum solo is something like the remarkable stuff of Ellington live shows. The following track is "The Mooche," a much earlier work by Ellington, which is here refined and distilled with a rousing arrangement that is dedicated wholly to its original flavor, but effortlessly blends with the rest of the unfolding tapestry. The reworking of "Take the `A' Train" is also a fascinating piece of art, moving from jazzy instrumental to bop inspired vocals with Betty Roche. There are great percussive uses of the Hi-Fi recording techniques, and the shifts in mood and tempo will make the listener feel like they are at the train station. The next idea personified with music is "A Tone Parallel to Harlem," at the time a more modern Ellington composition, and in the opinion of some the summation of where his current musical influences were taking him. And so, in evaluating the progression of recordings, it is subjectively implied that the move uptown is a journey through art and imagination and style. There are a lot of stylistic landscapes to cross before the album's completion. The glorious "Perdido" allows many of the Ellington Band's most celebrated soloists to spotlight.

The bonus material allows the viewpoint of different ideas. "I Like the Sunrise" is meant to instill the emotions of those who were leaving the United States to resettle in Africa, beaten down by slavery but inspired by hope for freedom. The energy takes a dive into reflection as the next tracks move into focus. This is the famous "Controversial Suite." Here the Duke addresses the conflict between traditionalists and progressive jazz enthusiasts. Without siding, the Duke uses the three pieces to emote the ideas of the music. The answer, the Duke would seem to say, is to express art (and to show that older musicians can hang with the nouveau). The final five tracks are the wonderfully mastered "Liberian Suite," in which the movements are numbered instead of named. This is the first Ellington piece of music to follow the formal suite form, as well as being his second commercially released album. The concepts of freedom and the conflict of racism and the desire for betterment blend in this tribute to the nation of Liberia.

Whether guiding the listener through a deeply personal musical journey by way of uptown travel, reflecting on the progression of musical styles, or adding his thought and prayers to the furthering of the dreams of men who want freedom from oppression, the Duke is an artist. The pictures he paints are to fill the heart and the mind, and the class and truth of his work is timeless.

It's somewhat unsettling these days to see the number of "desert island" lists that omit any mention of the Ellington band. Apparently the maestro is receiving ever-growing recognition for his popular song output as well as his iconic but hardly representative appearances on recordings like "Duke Ellington and John Coltrane." But to deny Ellington his primary instrument--his orchestra--is to silence as distinctive and personal a voice as American music has ever produced.

"Ellington Uptown" may be the best single introduction to the band. Too often the Ellington samplers and "Best of" collections emphasize the pop tunes at the expense of the compositional genius of Ellington and the colorful tonal personality of the band. And though the jazz critics may tell you Ellington's best orchestra was the Blanton-Webster unit of the early '40's, I see that some Amazon listeners were immediately put off by these recordings because of the audio quality. At the other end are the Suites, particularly "Three Suites," an impressive collection of three of Ellington's best extended works. But these, too, can seem arid and even overwhelming to a listener who has yet to make the acquaintance of the Ellington ensemble. There's always "Ellington at Newport 1956," but this two-disc package loses much of its impact on the listener who is unfamiliar with the historical circumstances of the event itself.

Enter "Ellington Uptown," which contains, in my opinion, the most memorable, exciting version of "Take the A Train" on record--as representative of the best of the swing era as it is of the Ellington orchestra's strengths. Betty Roche and Paul Gonsalves both have extended, masterful solos, and the audio quality is life-like. "Perdido" and "Skin-Deep" are two more swing-era staples while "The Mooche" and the two Suites demonstrate the true Ellington legacy--a modern, "progressive" American music that clearly derives from the sounds, textures, and rhythms of the New Orleans tradition.

Appreciating the Ellington orchestra is not an "automatic," especially since most listeners are accustomed to the formulaic approach of big swing bands and the "well-oiled machine" criteria by which such ensembles are commonly measured. The Ellington ensembles, on the other hand, were "beyond category" (to use a Duke phrase). And even without the presence of Johnny Hodges, who was elsewhere during these recordings, "Ellington Uptown" represents the democratic, personal, and inimitable Ellington sound as it deserves to be heard and remembered.

Before your desert island list numbers ten albums, make sure "Ellington Uptown" is among them.

For too long, Columbia (Sony, or now Sony/BMG?) has been satisfied to keep only the original all-too-brief "Uptown" available on CD. Finally we have the peculiar "Controversial Suite" back in the package, as well as the attractive "Liberia Suite" from 1948. To my knowledge, this suite has latterly only been available through Melodie Chronogical [sic] Classics, the French bootleg re-issue label.
There is a very beautiful alternate version of the 1st movement of the "Liberia Suite" in which Harry Carney's unique baritone sax replaces the somewhat banal vocal by Al Hibbler. Who knows why this was not included. Five stars for this release if it were.
My equipment and ears don't notice any significant improvement in the sound quality which could be attributed to re-mastering. This music includes some of Duke & Strayhorn's most elaborate scoring and there still seem to be some "balance" problems. I still seem to hear strings in "Perdido" at one juncture, though I think they're reeds, and some of the heavy piano accents in "the Mooche" (by Duke, I believe) are just barely audible.
The original liner notes and layout have been reproduced along with additional notes, very informative, by Patricia Willard.

This is the album that made a household name of Louie Bellson and the tune that turned the drumming world on its ear. No one had heard anything quite like "Skin Deep" in 1952, and it is still remarkable by any standard. Constructed within the framework of the Ellington band, Bellson's solo on his own composition is a series of percussive interludes separated by orchestral episodes, a modified call and response between drummer and band, until the band drops out and leaves Bellson in the spotlight. He proceeds to build a solo, the first recorded double bass drum solo, that is completely original in conception and utterly impossible in execution, inspiring legions of imitators in its wake. Bellson's genius here lies in his ability to merge the musical with the technical, and he orchestrates a series of snare patterns with bass drum punctuations before launching a fuscillade of rapid alternating single-stroke rolls against the bass drums, stepping on the pedals until the batters are an absolute blur. Just when you think he can't go any longer, Bellson counterpoints the thundering bass drums with crashing cymbals and a seamless press roll, until he abruptly stops and counts the band back in for a rousing climax. Oh, and the rest of the album isn't bad either.

These 1951-52 recordings capture Ellington and co-arranger Billy Strayhorn in a period of deepening exploration of composition and tone, bringing an acrobatic, deft modernism to bear on older songs such as "Perdido," "The Mooche" and "Take The 'A' Train," as well as several newer, more challenging tunes, such as ."A Tone Parallel To Harlem," "The Controversial Suite," and the six part "Liberian Suite." The music is dense and cerebral, sophisticated and swank, yet playful and lively -- less lofty than, say, Stan Kenton's work of the same era, but no less mathematical and complex... There's still an earthiness to this material, in which the melodic drive is never lost, although for the casual listener, this may be a bit daunting and at times shrill... But it certainly captures the insistent, searching intellect that drove Ellington's creativity, propelling him to forge along new paths rather than simply resting on his laurels.

Yes, this is the beautiful album where Betty Roche sings on Take the A-train, Clark Terry shines on Perdido, the whole band gives a classic re-working of The Mooche, Louis Bellson struts
his stuff on Skin Deep,
and there are some extra tracks and nice suites as well...

Maybe not the most famous Ellington albums (it's from early 1950s, it doesn't have Hodges, there's no diminuendo and crescendo in blue...)it has so many highlights and classics it is actually strange it's not mentioned more often in general evaluation of orchestral jazz, swing, mainstream, Ellington and jazz classics in general...
And, yes, some of the orchestrations show some influence of modernity, as do Gonsalves on tenor and Betty Roche on vocals... But it's a testament of Duke's (and, probably, Strayhorn's) constant search and development, not just a passing sign of times. It is one of those lovely albums that are at the same time essential and good introduction to artist's work.

Really great Ellington's album. It contains Bellson's original Skin Deep, Ellington's Harlem Suite and two great covers - Mooche - for me the best from late versions of this stuff and Take The A Train - with vocal and long Paul Gonsalves tenor solo in second slower part. This version Ellington plays in almost all concerts. This Cd contains Controversial and Liberian suite too - two very good and unavailable suites. If you love Ellington's music - buy it.

THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OF A STRING OF GREAT DUKE ELLINGTON RELEASES FROM THE 1950'S, WHEN THE LP FORMAT FIRST CAME INTO PLAY. ELLINGTON WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL JAZZ ARTIST AT THAT TIME TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION, AND PART OF THE REASON WAS THAT HIS ALBUMS NOT ONLY HAD GREAT MUSICIANS AND ARRANGEMENTS, BUT THEY ALSO HAD CONTINUITY, WHICH TRANSLATED WELL INTO AN ALBUM. IT WOULD BE POINTLESS TO GO INTO A SONG BY SONG REVIEW OF THIS CD, BECASUE EVERY SONG IS AWESOME, SO JUST SIT BACK, LISTEN, AND ENJOY!

I took this 33 record from my mom and dad when I was 9 or 10 and was hooked on Ellington from then on. I even saw him at Stanford University in an outdoor venue with old friend John Handy Jr. (who became a great bay area drummer). This record stands the test of time as a great example of Ellington and Strayhorn's genius in breaking into new musical territorirs. It's still amzing to listen to for me, some 40+ years later. Cheers.

Here is the Duke as I remember the band on tour. I grew up hearing jazz in the 1950's and in the 1960's lived in Europe for close to six years. Europe was the place to be and the Duke would be there every summer. We took it for granted - Duke Ellington was one of the bands we all cherished and now we can listen to this wonderful CD and remember just what it was like.

There is a freshness in the playing - a spontaneous feeling of improvisation taking place even as you listen and this reminds me of those days when jazz was being played live everywhere. I have many many Ellington albums and this one gives me that special reminder of just what it was like " to be there " hearing the great man live except this isn't live and that is what makes it so special - it has that extra something that invites me to play it again and again.

One of my all time favourites.

Mr Pilgarlic.