MEDIUM Hybrid SACD
CONDITION sealed
CD M mint
CD CASE M mint
BOOKLET M mint
SERIALNUMBER No
LIMITED Yes
MUSICIAN HOMEPAGE http://www.dukeellington.com
MISCELLANEOUS Stereo
Johnny Hodges – alto sax
Ben Webster – tenor sax
Harry Edison – trumpet
Roy Eldridge – trumpet
Lawrence Brown – trombone
Duke Ellington – piano
Billy Strayhorn – piano
Al Hall – bass
Wendell Marshall – bass
Leslie Spann – guitar, flute
Jo Jones - drums
stompy jones - 6:36
just squeeze me (but don’t tease me) - 4:35
big shoe - 5:33
going up - 4:50
just a memory - 5:51
let's fall in love - 6:46
ruint - 2:31
bend one - 2:57
you need to rock - 5:51
The most awesome, the most swinging rhythm group of all times!
Fantastic winds!
There’s only one guy who can make an alto saxophone sound like this – somewhere between melancholy and aggressiveness!
Superlative after superlative come to mind when you listen to these nine numbers, which were recorded at the end of the Fifties
The idea of scaling down Ellington’s band for jam-session-like numbers is absolutely genial because it offers soloists great opportunities to display their artistry
And these wind musicians are the best of the best, masters of their instruments
We have Roy Eldridge, who influenced the transition from swing to be-bop and a modern style of trumpet playing
Harry Edison, whose light and airy Basie-swing style cannot be denied
And Ben Webster, who amalgamates both the Count’s and the Duke’s style of swing
And then there is Johnny 'The Rabbit' Hodges, whose natural feeling for rhythm and gentle tone is brought to optimal expression within this concept
"Squeeze Me" and "Stompy Jones" both stem from the Forties and are often performed
But in this session they have been rejuvenated in a masterly fashion
The standard "Let’s Fall In Love" demonstrates Lawrence Brown’s highly personal sound on the trombone
And then goes on to spotlight Roy Eldridge and Johnny Hodges, both of whom prove that they are at the very zenith of their artistic prowess
"Ruint" and "Going Up" provide a showcase for Johnny Hodges
While "Just A Memory" focuses on the gentle, sometimes rather sentimental sound of Ben Webster
Just as exceptional is the recording quality of this LP
Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the two sessions
The reissue offers a excellent opportunity to pay homage to the Verve recording engineers
RECORDING August 1958 and February 1959 in New York City
ENGINEERING --
RE MASTERING George Marino
RE RELEASED January 2013
AVERAGE RATING 5 Stars out of 5
MADE IN USA
STYLE Jazz / Swing
AVAILABLE as long as inventory stock
