Customer Reviews

Okeh Ellington

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

 

 

Unfortunately, Sony engineers Tim Geelan and Larry Keyes take the old school approach to 78s, and amputate the treble along with the noise in these reissues. Once you've heard what really is stored on old 78s -- e.g. in Steven Lasker's superb digital restorations on The Best Of The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition -- sound on "The Okeh Ellingon" is intolerable. One can only hope that these fabulous Ellington tracks get reissued again with different engineers. To hear just how good 78 sound can be, check out Bessie Smith 1925-1933 Hermes label, and The Very Best of Ella Mae Morse.

This 2Cd contains some great performances of this absolutely best orchestra ever. I love first version of The Mooche with Baby Cox and Hot & Bothered too. Harlem twist not first but one of the best versions of East St. Louis Toodle-oo. Great version of Mood Indigo and Black and Tan fantasy without Bubber Miley.
And first version of great Rockin'in Rhythm.
This is a essential music for every fans of early jazz.
But!!! sound on this double cd is one of the worst I ever heard.
Absolutely muted, no clarity, no high tones, no drums.
I recorded some songs (Rockin'in Rhythm, The Mooche, Harlem Twist) in Austrian radio station and sound on my cassette is 100% better than on this 2Cd.
I hope then this recordings in future will be release in better form than on this Cd.

I'm appalled this CD is still in print using the same horrid transfers Sony made in 1991. The major label philosophy at that time was, "Eliminate any and all trace of hiss or crackle from the original 78, no matter if it totally kills the music in the process." Great progress has been made since that time in the development of technology to transfer 78s without destroying the music, but has Sony bothered to create a new remaster? No. They are still pressing new CDs from the original 1991 transfers and they sound HORRID. Save your money, I beg of you, and wait for somebody to do this material correctly. This release is a disgrace.

I'm not an audio engineer or recording expert, just someone who loves great music and jazz. Maybe the gent who wrote the above review is justified in his criticisms. Personally, I think the sound is what one would expect from mono recordings made in the 1920's and early 30's. However, the point I would like to make is that regardless of any engineering deficiencies that may exist, the music on these 2 discs is great, and well worth owning.

You'd really be doing yourself a huge disservice to shun these discs because the sound quality isn't perfect. There are instances when the quality of the music transcends the imperfections of the recording. Take 'The Complete Robert Johnson Recordings' as an example. Would you not listen to classic blues or other great discs because the recordings are full of hisses and scratches? Of course not. This set sounds far better (sound quality-wise). The songs are classic, so check them out.

What else can I say? I played a very clean copy of the 78 rpm of "Diga Diga Doo" on my turntable last week, then put on this CD's remastering, and it was amazing how Sony's engineeers drained all the presence and warmth out of what were some of the BEST recorded 78s of their era! Don't get me started on the pitch problems with the acoustic recordings! Now that Sony-BMG have merged, one can only pray that 21st-century technology will be applied to these masterworks and put this mangy puppy to sleep. 3 stars for music alone.

Ellington was and is the embodiment of stylish elegance and musical eloquence. Even the threat in Bubber Miley's growling trumpet has a warmth in it. Hearing the hottest yet smoothest, most sophisticated of twenties jazz bands perform early versions of "Black and Tan Fantasy," "East St. Louis Toodle-oo," "Mood Indigo," "Rockin' in Rhythm," and "The Mooch" is like returning in memory to a precious sound or smell of childhood: the frying of bacon or a gardenia on a Sunday dress. Ellington's gift was to evoke just such sensations and more--sensuality, sexuality, sobriety, intoxication, solitude, sociability, cordiality, subtlety, even profundity--in musical adventures that still reach, through the medium of jazz, for a cross-racial, cross-cultural universality. This is one of the treasures of the twentieth century.

If like me your preference is for early Ellington, then this 2-CD set, covering Ellington's Okeh (Columbia) output between March 1927 and November 1930, should merit serious consideration. From the weird introduction of East St. Louis Toodle-oo to the restrained finale of Rocking In Rhythm it's apparent that this is a band with a difference, not just for the virtuosity of the individual players (particularly Bubber Miley, Cootie Williams, Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, and Johnny Hodges) but for Sonny Greer's peculiar shuffling rhythm which seems to have been the Duke's trademark during this period.

When these 50 tracks (49 on the international release) were issued in the late twenties (many in England on laminated Columbia and Parlophone pressings) the effect must have been quite sensational. The effect has been somewhat diminished in the transfer process, which has produced a certain fuzziness. Musically, it merits five stars, but remastering would only rate three, which averages out at four overall.

Duke Ellington in my opinion, was the best composer and piano player since Scott Joplin. He was the man! Duke Ellington; that is. Duke's music was the cotton club's entertainment. After Duke went on to persue new avenues, Cab Calloway took over the cotton Club's entertainment. These songs on this CD are his early pieces, such as: The Mooche, with or without Baby Cox singing vocal. Sweet Mama, Black Beauty, Black & Tan Fantasy, and many more. Another jazz masterpiece for your collection.

when the first three reviews, from three of the world's quarters, blast the issue for its sonic imperfections. I'm not immune to such concerns, as I hope my remarks on Jo Stafford's "Autumn in New York" will confirm, but this sounds better to my elderly ears than Sony's much-praised "The Duke" three-pack.

For 19 years now we have put up with the awful sound of this CD. Let SONY know we care that this music gets properly re-mastered. After all, we are in the age of SACD, HDCD and great sound on our high def videos. Let's build a fire under those guys.