[Dixielandjazz] Ellington Reviewed

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jul 11, 2011, at 3:00 PM, dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com  
wrote:

>  Marek Boym <marekboym at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I wish reviewers knew English!
>
>
> Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master
> Recordings
>> of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (Mosaic Records)
>> by Colin Fleming
>> JazzTimes.com, July 10, 2011
>> Mosaic isn't exactly mucking around on this gargantuan 11-disc set  
>> that essentially
>> distills
> Distills?  There is no distilling - it's the COMPLETE recordings!
> True, there were other companies, but stil...  Distillation certainly
> is not the right description.
> Otherwise, the music has very few blemishes, but that is another  
> story.
>
>
>> the first grand age of Ellingtonia into the contents of one box set.
>
> And what about the late 1920's?  The grand age certainly started thenm
> not in 1932!

Dear Marek:

One definition of distill is:

"to take the most important parts of something and put them in a  
different and usually improved form."

That's exactly what Mosaic has done. As the reviewer said, they  
combined the various Ellington recordings of several different  
companies over the period from 1932 to 1940 into one 11 disc boxed  
set.  Seems to me that qualifies as a distillation of the sum total of  
early Ellington.

Then the review states why he calls it the first Grand Age of  
Ellingtonia with a convincing argument. What about the late 1920s. Why  
would this be the start of the first grand age of Ellingtonia, rather  
than 1932 to 1940?

The 1930s was when Ellington started experimenting with chromatics and  
other harmonic alterations. The results, at least to me, were  
astounding.

The 1930s were when he composed and/or recorded a series of hits like  
Caravan, Solitude, I Let a Song Go out of My Heart, Sophisticated  
Lady, In a Sentimental Mood, It Don't Mean a Thing if It Aint Got That  
Swing and all those small group songs for individual band  
members.etc., etc. I don't think his work in the 1920s can compare in  
any way to his work and development in the 1930s.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband