More Money Jungle: Ellington Explorations

Alex Shuhan, Wiff Rudd, Rhythm & Brass | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 16, 1999)
• Original Release Date: February 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B00000I0DY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #612,967 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. More Money Jungle

2. Money Jungle

3. Fleurette Africaine

4. A Little Max (Parfait)

5. Amad

6. Cotton Club Stomp [Live]

7. Concerto for Cootie [Live]

8. Jungle Nights in Harlem [Live]

9. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo [Live]

10. Ellington Indigos

11. Mood Indigo

12. Caravan

13. Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)

14. Duke Ellington's Sound of Love

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Few collections allow themselves the variety of interpretations invited by the original Duke Ellington-Charles Mingus-Max Roach Money Jungle trio session. With a flush of five horns and a drummer, Rhythm & Brass have a great platform for these Ellington gems, only a few of which were originals on the Money Jungle session. That leaves the pre-1940s Ellington canon for R&B to whip into a brassy froth. They play with the force of a New Orleans marching brass ensemble, making their rhythms stomp-heavy with tuba rumble and snare snaps. Where the Ellington ensembles shone, though, is in the trombone and trumpets, and this band catches Roy Eldridge's fullness of tone and both Bubber Miley and Tricky Sam Nanton's muted growls and effects. When they're playing the early-Duke card, R&B do a splendid orchestral job, too, making their slimness in numbers sound entirely illusory as each member takes parts of whole Ellington band sections. More than a simple tribute by far, R&B's More Money Jungle is a slimmed-down but fattened-up run on these familiar, well-rendered tunes. --Andrew Bartlett

From Jazziz

The 1962 United Artists session Money Jungle - Ellington in a trio with Charles Mingus and Max Roach - must have seemed like an original dream-team conception. In fact, it's even deeper: Both Roach and, particularly, Mingus had drawn key influence from Ellington. This makes the playful sparring between keyboard and bass on Money Jungle all the more meaningful.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mix, August 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: More Money Jungle: Ellington Explorations (Audio CD)

This is a great mix of reverent and also wild and fun takes on the Ellington songbook. Wonderful to have some fresh takes on songs from the classic trio album "Money Jungle." The 30's era tunes have that correct "snap" that moves nicely to the acid jazz feel on "Caravan." Sometimes the trumpet sounds just like Barney Bigard's clarinet! The Mingus tune closer is a perfect ending.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful group!!, September 11, 1999

By 

Ginger Kowal - See all my reviews

This review is from: More Money Jungle: Ellington Explorations (Audio CD)

As a student at Brevard Music Center's 1999 summer season, I had the privilege of playing (in an orchestra) with Rhythm and Brass. Let me say that while the orchestral accompaniment parts were not all that great, it was an incredible experience to play with this group. They performed two pieces from this CD, Amad and More Money Jungle, and both were fantastic. The concert was dynamic and inspiring, and afterwards, a friend and roommate of mine bought this CD. It is a great CD and is good evidence of Rhythm And Brass's incredible power as players, interpreters, and performers.