[Dixielandjazz] Ellington - was scheduling.

[Marek Boym]

Hello Steve, listmates,
The description reminds me of Acker Bilk's concert in Wroclaw (don't
even try to pronounce it - it's ALL different that any approximation
in English), Poland, back in 1954 (could it have been 1953?  I don't
really think so).  The crowd was enthusiastic when the Polish band
started playing, but when Bilk took the stage, pandemonium broke out!
Men's jackets and ladies purses were flyin all over the place - and
that was a few years before the funny waistcoats and the derby hat.
Actually, not only that bilk wasn't "Mr." yet - he was an avocational
musician at the time.  However, it was our first exposure to a western
band; Polish bands, with the possible exception of Melomani, who had
played "underground," was still new - only recently having ceased
being "the product of decadent capitalist culture" and becoming "the
expression of the Negro's struggle for equality."

By the way, the same was happening all over at concerts by Elvis and
other R'n'R stars.
Now to Ellington (haven't changed the subject, after all) - his band
played an even longer version of "Diminuendo & Crescendo in Blue" at
another jazz festival earlier that year.  a great version - but it did
not stir the response the Newport one did

And another thing: I have the "electrinically (dis)enhanced for
stereo" version of the Newport concert.  I somehow remember the
original mono as less noisy (public noise).  Is that true?
Cheers

On 15/09/2007, Steve Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net> wrote:
> tduncan <tduncan at bellatlantic.net>
>
> > I am reading George Wein's autobiography . .. Lots of good stuff in there
> > about some OKOM people like Wild Bill, Vic Dickinson, etc. Wein talks about
> > the Newport Jazz Festival that was the big breakthrough for that event when
> > Duke Ellington totally ignored Wein's frantic attempts to get him to end the
> > finale set and went on to higher and greater musical heights until the
> > audience almost exploded. Then, he brought it back down and finally closed
> > the set in his own good time . . . creating a memorable musical event.
>
> Hi Tom:
>
> That was probably when Duke played Diminuendo & Crescendo in Blue in July
> 1956. The number was full of energy. Paul Gonsalves took his famous 27
> chorus solo. A blonde in the audience started a gyrating dance to it. The
> audience went nuts. Then the younger people in the audience started
> jitterbugging. Another gal did a solo dance around the edge of the crowd.
> It was an incredible scene with everyone hollering "GO", some rushing the
> stage, others climbing on their chairs screaming and clapping.
>
> The band played louder and louder to be heard over the ambient noise.
>
> Wein, who was just in front of me at near the front edge of the stage
> started hollering at Duke. "That's enough, end it" etc. Later it was
> reported that Wein was nervous that a riot might start. That's how raucous
> the crowd was. But Ellington was not to be denied.
>
> Ellington grinned at Wein, wagged a finger at him and said something like
> "Don't mess with the artists." and just kept going, basking in the moment
> because his career, at that point had been in decline. He kept urging the
> band on, as did Jo Jones who was at the edge of the stage, banging it and
> keeping time with a folded up newspaper. All the while Ellington exhorted
> the band on, with his "Ah Ha", "Yeah, "Come On" etc.
>
> It was like what we see today in Rock & Roll performances, band was really
> screaming, crowd was screaming and dancing around. As I remember it, the
> band took at three or four encores. Not because of their wanting to run
> overtime, but because the audience would not let them leave.
>
> The performance was recorded and you can hear all of it including Duke
> exhorting the band, and the incredible crowd response.
>
> It re-ignited Ellington's career.
>
> It was also the last set of the evening, ran about 40 minutes over etc., but
> as Ellington must have guessed, it was the beginning of a new life for him
> and his music.
>
> Such incredible energy. Such stage presence. Such audience participation.
> Moments like that in jazz are very rare today and to be savored.
>
> It should have been a lesson to us all that this music should be danced and
> gyrated to. Should be high energy, and that every performance should a show.
> We went the "artsy" route instead while the rockers took our places. <grin>
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>