Customer Reviews

Things Ain't What They Used to Be

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This CD features Duke Ellington small combos, fronted respectively by Johnny Hodges and Rex Stewart, recorded in 1940 and 1941. Great selections, pretty good recordings, and an interesting contrast to the big band sound Duke Ellington's orchestras were famous for. Also featuring Ray Nance, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer and others.

These small Ellington sessions produced special recordings because they offered those individual geniuses timely opportunities to shine. Rex Stewart was always just that, a congenial and intelligent musician who was a political and social being. His cornet playing exhibited his fidelity to an instrument that his hero Louis Armstrong had abandoned after the Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions in the late 1920's. Stewart relished this instrument and diligently developed his unique sound on the cornet with his famous half-valving technique. No other musician ever replicated his "talking" cornet.

In addition to Stewart on these small group recordings, Ben Webster explored a rich sound on the tenor sax that placed him between Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, a nice niche for sure. Raw and always tender in the high register, he is soothing and biting.
Finally, Johnny Hodges, the master of the swing alto sax, is a delight. Effortlessly playing ballads as well as jazz "dance-hop" pieces, his velvet sound is comforting.
This album is proof why Things Ain't What They Used To Be.

SINCE THESE RECORDINGS DATE BACK TO 1940 AND 1941 , I GUESS A PERSON SHOULD NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM SUCH VINTAGE RECORDINGS.EVEN WITH SOME RECORDING STATIC , THE QUALITY OF THE MUSIC IS ACCEPTABLE. I AM JUST SPOILED WITH TODAY'S RECORDING TECHNOLOGY.