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The Centennial
Edition: Complete RCA Victor Recordings
Close your eyes, dip your
hand into this treasure chest, and play any of the 462 tracks
contained within: you are guaranteed to hear something magnificent.
It may be a stunning composition, an innovative arrangement,
or an astonishing improvisational passage, but the brilliance
is there.It is only fitting that the greatest figure in 20th-century
popular music is the subject of this most wondrous box set. Across
24 discs, the majesty and unparalleled genius of Duke Ellington
is on vivid display. Listening to the box from start to finish
in chronological order, you discover a composer, bandleader,
and pianist who consistently and daringly pushed his music ever
forward. As fascinating as it is to hear Duke's artistic progression
as it unfolds, it is even more remarkable to digest these CDs
out of order. During the course of 50 years, his creative wellspring
gushed an amazing variety of music delivered in a multitude of
different styles and settings; yet somehow, someway, it all sounds
like Ellington.Whereas some artists find the blues idiom constricting,
Duke saw it as a highly malleable and versatile foundation.The
first seven CDs chronicle the maestro's Cotton Club days and
his theatrical, visceral "jungle music," which was
created as part of the club's African-themed stage shows and
"tribal" dances. Even at this early stage,he showed
a tremendous ability to create expressive moods and keen imagery
through his compositions as well as an uncanny understanding
of his players' strengths. Six discs are dedicated to the early
1940s, when tenor sax player Ben Webster and bassist Jimmy Blanton
elevated the band to new heights. The next three CDs cover the
mid-1940s, when the Duke began experimenting with longer pieces.
Another combines mid-1940s all-star jams with a full 1952 Seattle
concert. All three of Ellington's Sacred Concerts follow, a bold,
pioneering fusion of jazz and church, complete with choir and
dance, that used the language of music to eloquently sermonize
on the subjects of personal freedom, spirituality, and communication
with God. The collection wraps up with four discs' worth of late-period
magic, including the exotic and dramatic Far East Suite and an
homage to recently departed Billy Strayhorn.This stunning package
also serves as a tribute to all of the superior musicians that
found a home in the Ellington Orchestra. Special mention must
be made of altoist Johnny Hodges, who first recorded with Ellington
in 1928 and stayed with him (except for a brief respite in the
1950s) until his death in 1970. Throughout, his sublime tone
and fertile imagination epitomize the beauty, inventiveness,
and dignity that is the essence of jazz. Also of note are the
many superb compositions and arrangements from Strayhorn, who
managed to carve a vital niche for himself while remaining true
to the sound of Ellingtonia. |
