Uptown (1951-1952) [Import]

Duke Ellington | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 17, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1951
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sbme Import
• ASIN: B00004S7A5
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,085,076 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Skin Deep

2. The Mooche

3. Take the "A" Train

4. Tone Parallel to Harlem (The Harlem Suite)

5. Perdido

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfectionism, August 8, 2002

By 

bukhtan (Chicago, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Uptown (1951-1952) (Audio CD)

Duke recorded these pieces in 1951 and '52 not long after altoist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown left the band. Oddly, their absence impairs this music hardly at all. The ensemble playing is as good as Ellington's organization had ever achieved, and Clark Terry (trumpet/fluegelhorn), Cat Anderson (trumpet), Gonsalves (tenor sax), and Duke himself produce very beautiful solos. These recordings may be the best recorded example of Louis Bellson's drumming for Ellington.
"Tone parallel to Harlem" is probably the most successful piece, one of Duke's best long compositions, on a par with the "Tattooed Bride" (on Ellington's "Masterpieces", also recorded by Columbia). This is the first studio recording. "Skin deep" is largely a vehicle for Bellson, which remained in Duke's concert repertoire after Bellson left the band, probably due to its catchy theme. The other pieces are remakes of earlier compositions. Of these, "Perdido" is perhaps the prettiest, with very fine playing by the rhythm section (including Duke) and moving call-and-response among the horns. "The Mooche" is an example of Duke's great instrumental operas, with the clarinettists Hamilton, Procope and Harry Carney (bass clarinet) dominant. It's striking how this much more sophisticated performance maintains the threatening but humorous spirit of versions from the "jungle music" phase in the late Twenties with Bubber Miley and the vocalist Baby Cox. "Take the A Train" features an extended introduction by Billy Strayhorn, a vocal by Bette Roche and a tenor solo by Paul Gonsalves.
At one time a Columbia collection of the same title included Duke's "Controversial Suite", his spoof on Dixieland and "modern jazz", along with these pieces. I can't think of why they would have discontinued that.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Louie Bellson Drum Solo!, March 4, 2009

By 

Push Button Gadget "Video Guru" (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Uptown (1951-1952) (Audio CD)

I heard "Skin Deep" on a flight from Amsterdam and tracked down this CD. Not only is the Duke Ellington band thrilling, drummer Louie Bellson does some truly amazing work, especially on Skin Deep with an extended double bass drum solo that sounds like something John Bonham or Ginger Baker would have done, yet this was recorded in 1952, preceding them by almost 20 years.

Certainly Duke Ellington fans will enjoy The Mooche, Take the A Train, and A Tone Parrallel to Harlem, but this is a must for drummers and Louie Bellson fans. The recently departed Bellson was called "The World's Greatest Drummer" by Duke Ellington.

Pick up this CD, if you can find it.