[Dixielandjazz] RE Ghost Ellington

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Folks,

Robert wrote "I forget exactly what Ellington-repertoire English band I heard a few years 
back at an Edinburgh Jazz Festival gala concert, but what was interesting was 
the probable relation between the satisfactory quality of the music and the fact 
that it was a 1945-47 Ellington band." 

I suspect that would be the Echoes of Ellington band, which is based in London and still on the go. From memory, when they appeared in Edinburgh, there were quite a few guys from the BBC Big Band in the ranks. I recall chatting to Jay Craig (baritone) and Mike Smith (drums). The charts were very authentic-sounding and the band produced a fair facsimile of the Ellington sound, although having said that nobody has ever got close to the wonderful sound of Duke's sax section when it contained Hodges, Procope, Gonsalves, Hamilton and Carney. If you've ever wondered what cream sounds like, that's it!

I was lucky enought to hear Duke's 1960s band in Glasgow a couple of times when those giants were in the sax section and the brass had Cootie, Willie Cook, Ray Nance etc. One concert stands out: it was at the Odeon Cinema in the centre of Glasgow and there were 2 separate shows. I had tickets for the second house, but when the curtain went up it was a very small Duke Ellington Orchestra which took the stage. The rest were still in the pub making friends with the locals! Take the A-Train started with about 9 players and Duke kept if going for ages by forcing each straggler, as he came in, to take several choruses. It was part of the famed Ducal discipline for bad boys.

My take on the ghost band phenomenon is that there is a place for it provided the charts are authentic, the musicians are proficient enough to play them sympathetically and solo well, and above all if everyone plays the music with passion, respect and affection. Music dies if it is confined to a museum exhibit, so it is a great privilege to play these authentic charts and bring the music to life.

Cheers,

Ken Mathieson
www.classicjazzorchestra.org.uk