[Dixielandjazz] Ellington Reviewed

[Marek Boym]

Dear Steve,

On 12 July 2011 02:20, Stephen G Barbone wrote:
> Dear Marek:
>
> You are talking generalities. How about some SPECIFICS. What "classic"tunes
> in the 1920s, for example?

I don't believe instating the obvious.  Hence I did not list the
classics in my first posting.  But if you insist:
"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (November 29, 1926)
Ditto - (March 14, March 27, 1927); actually, there are several more
versions from the 1920's, all excellent)
Black and Tan FAntasy (April 2, 1927, October 6, 1927; the latter
issued as "Black and Tan Fantasie")
Creole Love Call ((October 26, 1927)
>Black Beauty (March 21, 1928)
The Moocheand Hot and Bothered (both October 1, 1928); again, there
are more excellent versions of the Mooche from the late '20's.
Diga Diga Doo (July 10, 1928, despite the vocal)
And, last but not least, the fantastic Tiger Rag (January 8, 1929).
In fact, there are too many to mention.
> And what "mouldy figs" who you say consider 1930s and afterwards Ellington
> "worthless? do you speak for?

I DO NOT speak for any particular Mouldy Fig.
>


>>>
>>> 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.

The collection does not "take the most important parts" of anything,
but rather compiles ALL the recordings by the Duke for several (not
all) labels made during a certain period.  And, although I have and
cherish a considerablet part of it, not all of it is great, and many
numbers are not up to some of the earlier classics mentioned above.
Certainly not "the first Grand Age of Ellingtonia."

Of course, other people are entitled to a different opinion.  And I
have no argument with the praise heaped on it by Down Beat and others.
 Just some reservations about "distilling," and even more so - "first
Grand Age."

Cheers
>>

>>>
>>> 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?
>>>