[Dixielandjazz] Duke Ellington - Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue

[Bert Brandsma]

Hi Marek, 
I think the same like you about the (dis) enhanced version, it is not really an improvement on this one. Maybe the producers thought it was spectacular to have more audience noise?...... who knows, wouldn't surprise me.
There is also a Concertgebouw Amsterdam version of Dim. and Cresc. in Blue, I think recorded after the Newport comeback. That one is on film. Originally never on TV when it was broadcasted, but it is now available on DVD.
By the way, there are also some Ellington interpretations of Nutcracker and Peer Gynt suites that are not too bad.
And one more ambitious effort that has really touching moments is Ellington's Symphony in Black. Not too well known since it was not issued on record, but instead recorded on film. For instance what Hodges does at times, and Nanton backing Billie Holiday and again Arthur Whetsol playing so nice on the trumpet. It is really unique art. Of course some of the elements used in this, are allready used before by him, like in Merry Go Round, but many classical composers actually did exactly the same.
What I really tried to point out, is that too often and too easily is said that only his 3 minute works are interesting. We have to put things in perspective, like we do with other great artists, in order to understand their motivations.That so many of the early 1940's recordings like Cotton Tail, Concerto for Cootie, Warm Valley, Jack The Bear and Koko are hailed as masterpieces also has to do with the fact that the band then was at is strongest in performance capabilities. He still had Cootie and Bigard and Nanton and Blanton, name them all.
And one other matter is of course, that Ellington had the constant pressure not only being a composer, but also had to keep an entire big band running.As far as I understood it, actually he often lost a lot of money on the band's performances, that he had to make up with the royalties out of compositions. That pressure without doubt is one of the factors why some of his longer works are flawed at parts, too much time pressure. But they also have moments of real beauty.
Kind regards,
Bert



I did mention that, and Reminiscing in Tempo, as exceptions.   
 It's really one of the most magic moments soundwise Ellington ever achieved.- Diminuendo and Crescendo in blue IS a composition that makes sence form wise.

I agree with that, too.  And I like his arrangements of "Mary Poppins" and "The Swan Lake."  But in later years he wrote Sacred Concertos and things like "My People" or "The Drum Is a Woman," and those leave me completely cold.  

  Only it is 1937 avant garde Jazz, way ahead of it's time and actually beyond the performing capacities of the band members. (this was even the case in 1956 at Newport, there are flaws in execution)It was originally even not issued if I remember correctly, but was a huge succes 19 YEARS later at Newport.

True.  But the ctritics called it "a rabble rouser."  It is a fantastic performance.  I have an earlier and slightly longer version from another 1956 jazz festival, also excellent.  By the way, am I correct that the originally issued mono version has less public noise than the later "electronically (dis)enhanced version?  I have the latter, but somehow I remember the original as "cleaner."