Solos Duets & Trios [Original recording remastered]

Duke Ellington | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 15, 1990)
• Original Release Date: May 25, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Bluebird
• ASIN: B000002W2W
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #223,217 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong Piano, February 13, 2002

By 

B. D. Tutt (London, UK.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Solos Duets & Trios (Audio CD)

Ellington was always modest about his pianistic ability, and the few albums he made featuring the piano are often criticised as insubstantial efforts. This CD, a compilation of small group recordings made between 1932 - 1967 for RCA, shows him to have been a fine performer.

Tracks 1 - 2 are 1945 duets with Billy Strayhorn. Both are delightful, with "Tonk" having strong hints of Shostakovich's "jazz" style. 3-4 are trios from 1946. Track 5 from 1932 shows Ellington the strider, essentially derivative of Luckey Roberts and Willie the Lion Smith but without their technique. 6 - 8 are pleasant medium paced swing solos from 1941. Track 9, the best of the solo tracks, is a beautiful 1967 tribute to Strayhorn, catching Ellington at his most intimate and romantic.

The heart of the CD is tracks 10 - 18, the classic Ellington - Blanton duets of 1941. They are rather a mixed bag - Blanton's bowed melody statement on "Body and Soul" will not be to everyone's taste, but they are important recordings.

The final three tracks, from the 1965 Pittsburg Jazz Festival are fun but not essential Ellington. Track 19 is an Ellington / Hines duet, a respectful meeting with none of the potential fireworks delivered. Track 20 features some of Ellington's latterday stride along with a more typically rhapsodic central section, whilst the final track is a trio version of Ellington's familiar piano introduction, which comes to a halt just as one expects the orchestra to join in.

A good introduction to the evolution of Ellington's piano style - recommended.

6 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best CD in the world, July 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Solos Duets & Trios (Audio CD)

This is the best CD you will ever by. It is way better than any band today