Customer Reviews

His Mother Called Him Bill

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Duke recorded this tribute to his partner Billy Strayhorn only three months after Strayhorn's death at 52 from esophogeal cancer, while the shock and grief were still fresh- and it comes through on the record. Even the upbeat tunes have a kind of elegaic quality to them.

Many of Duke's greatest musicians were still with him: Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, Clark Terry and Sam Woodyard. Highlights are Hodges' keening, mourning solo on Blood Count, Terry's happy bubbling playing on U.M.M.G, Duke's impromptu piano solo rendition of Lotus Blossom, and a beautiful, sensual rendition of My Little brown Book, (much improved without the lyrics). Blood Count and Lotus Blossom especially express the love Duke and his men felt for Strayhorn and his music better than words ever could.

Though the intention was to record the best of Strayhorn's compositions, there are some mediocre tunes here: Snibor, All Day Long, and 2 takes of Smada (basically a minor riff with Jimmy Hamilton aimlessly noodling on top). These tunes are entertaining and well played, but not top-drawer Strayhorn. Chelsea Bridge or Clementine, (among others), would've been better choices, though I can understand them not wanting to do Take the A Train for the 4,000,000th time! There is also one Ellington compostion, Acht O'Clock Rock, which is pretty much ruined by Cat Anderson's high-note Cat-erwauling (there always has to be one tune ruined by Cat- it was a band rule or something).

The Bluebird first editions series is very nice- excellent sound quality, nice digi-pak with the original LP covers reproduced, good notes. Hopefully we'll see more than just the usual RCA suspects released on this series in the future.

This is my favorite Ellington album, and the fact that he put it out when he was 67 years old is perhaps un-equalled in the history of recorded music. Billy Strayhorn had just died, and the band played his greatest compositions with tremendous urgency and freshness. I own around 200 jazz cd's. and this is one of the five greatest. This is utterly indispensable music. If you have a jazz collection and you do not have this, you are missing out on a true classic.

My very first Duke Ellington LP, and one of my first jazz recordings, was the original version of this. It opened up new horizons for me the first time I listened to it, and it has satisfied me time and time again over the intervening thirty-five years, revealing new aspects over time.

Billy Strayhorn was an extraordinary composer of songs in the jazz idiom, one who, as did Jerome Kern and George Gershwin, brought an extensive knowledge of harmony and the classical repertoire to his work. The songs on this CD swing; at times, they swing very hard. What sets them apart from many others of the same vintage is the depth that the unusual harmonies give them. What sets these performances apart is the commitment and emotion that the giants in Ellington's band brought to these sessions. Aaron Bell and Steve Little, the bass player and drummer on most of these cuts, are absolutely outstanding, as are Clark Terry on flugelhorn in Boo-Dah and John Sanders on valve trombone in Rain Check.

The real star among the musicians, though, is Johnnie Hodges, who shines in Blood Count, After All, and Day-Dream, among others. Blood Count established itself as my favorite song on the LP the first time I heard it, and I have never found it necessary to revise that opinion. It starts out sounding like something from a film noir detective movie from the 1950s, but quickly transforms itself into something truly unique in the annals of jazz.

Ultimately, though, it's pointless to look for a favorite here. My own opinion is that all the cuts on the original LP are just about uniformly excellent; the previously unreleased tracks aren't quite as good. They're simply a bonus. With or without them, this is one of the great jazz recordings, and a truly fitting tribute to a giant of a songwriter who really ought to be far better known.

This is a wonderful tribute to Billy Strayhorn, that forgotten, pushed-to-the-back GENIUS. I am so glad that Duke Ellington did what he could at the time, during the times, to develop a legacy for Billy which he justly deserves. This really is a MUST HAVE CD for those whose taske in jazz is seasoned.

This tribute to Billy Strayhorn lives up to his legacy of musically erudite yet soulful songwriting. Duke Ellington's notable omission of Billy's "Lush Life" is sad, but understandable in view of the duo's mutual respect.

Many of the selections are brilliant, both in writing and performance, especially in Johnny Hodges' "Blood Count" and Ellington's solo "Lotus Blossom." Unfortunately, the inclusion of a handful of unengaging tracks such as "Acht O' Clock Rock" and "All Day Long" muddles an otherwise masterful performance.

When Ellington's band isn't recapturing Strayhorn's tender touch in ballads, they exude his unique ebullience exemplified in up-beat charts such as "Rain Check" and "U.M.M.G." This is a mostly thorough reflection of Strayhorn's life performed by no less than his closest musical peers.

But I'll try. Take a stack of superb Strayhorn compositions/arrangements, add discordant twists from Ellington's piano and from the band (almost certainly at Duke's behest), collective grief at Strayhorn's early demise (he was barely fifty), and a band rich in great musicians. Johnny Hodges is the ballad player nonpareil and has plenty to play on this record. Jimmy Hamilton's clarinet decorates many of these tracks in a way Ellington had not often tried. And the Duke drives it all home on the piano; he is the master of meaningful dissonance. Nothing cute here, just a fearlessly emotional and rich recording.

This is a simply amazing recording of a very emotional session devoted to Strayhorn's music. The solos by Johnny Hodges are outstanding and deeply moving, especially on "Day-dream". The liner notes are pretty interesting too. Anyone who likes Ellington, but doesn't own this album is missing out.

Duke Ellington is known more for classic songs and performances than albums, but this album, a tribute to composer and Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn, deserves placement among the great jazz LPs. The CD goes one better, adding unreleased cuts from the sessions that produced it, which seem just as essential as these strong, emotional performances. That Ellington "sound" was often Strayhorn's chromaticism and sly wit, and this record brings it out in a powerful way. You will swing, but you will also meditate on the lives of two great artists whose careers will be linked forever.

This is the album that changed my mind about Duke Ellington, and introduced me to Billy Strayhorn. It is proof positive that a big band can combine precision with fire,intensity, intimacy and emotion. Hearing the first song, Boodah, won me over. There are so many great moments here:Lotus Blossom(particularly the first take, which features only Duke's piano, and the bandmembers talking quietly in the background);Day Dream. The greatest thing about this CD is that it gives a real insight into how indispensable each player was to the band. With this, it is easier to understand why Ellington wrote songs geared to the strengths of each player-one only need hear Johnny Hodges. This is my favorite CD from the greatest composer the world has produced.

This is one of the very best Ellington albums from the post-1960 period. The performances are cohesive, swinging and emotional, with many inspired solos. This album is very enjoyable to listen to from start to finish. There are some simply wonderful Johnny Hodges solos--there is no soloist in jazz today like him, no one who can craft such compelling, emotional, beautiful solos. This is an essential album which is easy to love.