Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite – Special Mix

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Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Orin Keepnews, Paul Gonzalves, Rufus Jones

“Duke Ellington: The Far East Suite – Special Mix”
was originally recorded in December 1966. It was
reissued on CD during 1995, and is a 60-minute
collection of 13 tracks, the last four of which are
alternate takes, inspired by the trips Ellington and
his orchestra made to various cities. These include
Madras, Kabul, Bombay, Ankara and Tehran, to
name a few. The trip was taken in 1963, under
the auspices of the State Department. Evidently,
these nine pieces, originally released in 1967
under the RCA Victor label, bore rich musical fruit.

Honestly, these numbers wear their Eastern
influence lightly. In fact, Ellington observed that
the rhythms and harmonies or scales weren’t
so much copied as they were “absorbed.”
The resulting compositions, seven of which
were written with his longtime “right-hand man,”
Billy Strayhorn, can be said to have a foreign
influence without being imitative. To my ears,
this was primarily heard in the rhythm section,
particularly demonstrated by drummer Rufus Jones.

As always, the sophistication of the harmonies
and arrangements tailored for this 15-piece
ensemble were impressive. Star players,
such as baritone saxophonist Harry Carney,
alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, and
tenor saxophonist Paul Gonzalves were given
ample opportunities to shine. This was the
debut recording for the aforementioned
Rufus Jones with this band, and he did a
great job with the exotic rhythms.

Special mention should be made regarding
the sound quality of this Bluebird label reissue.
In one of the three accompanying essays,
producer Orin Keepnews does that and more.
From a fidelity standpoint, Ellington and his
band has never sounded better.
I highly recommend this CD.

Duke Ellington: Live at the Whitney

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Duke Ellington, Joe Benjamin, Rufus Jones

“Duke Ellington: Live at the Whitney” is an important Impulse!
label release, if for no other reason than it emphasizes
Ellington’s skills as a recitalist. According to an essay by
Jazz authority, Dan Morgenstern, this was the last of only
three such concerts given by Ellington (1899-1974) and
recorded at the Whitney Museum of American Art in
New York City on April 10, 1972.

For the last 12 tracks of this CD, Ellington was joined by
bassist Joe Benjamin (1919-1974) and drummer
Rufus Jones (1936-1990). Unfortunately, this 55-minute
disc did not contain the entire concert. However, what I
did hear were performances of many songs that might
also be featured in one of Ellington’s Big Band concerts,
and were similarly structured. These included a medley
of “Black and Tan Fantasy,” “Prelude to a Kiss,”
“Do Nothing ‘Til You Hear From Me,” and “Caravan,”
as well as other popular favorites, such as
“Sophisticated Lady,” “Mood Indigo,” and “Satin Doll.”

Hearing these songs, along with the Samba-influenced
“Amour, Amour” and “Soul Soothing Beach” in trio format
or solo piano renditions, enabled me to appreciate
Ellington’s special pianistic abilities, even if they weren’t
on a “world-class” level. Due to an unerring sense of
rhythm, emphasis on main melodies and unabashedly
romantic harmonies, he’s revealed as the same “Duke”
that we would have heard leading an orchestra. But it
was nice to just hear him alone at the piano.
When Benjamin and Jones did accompany Duke, it was
discreet. In fact, Benjamin’s bass was almost too far
back in the mix. Rufus Jones was allowed a small solo
on “Kixx,” the second to last song. Nevertheless, this
recital belonged to Duke Ellington who convivially
chatted with his audience, just as he would have while
leading his orchestra.

As expected from Impulse! recordings, the sound was
good, despite the aforementioned slight of Joe Benjamin’s
bass in the balance. In essence, this was a solo recital
with subtle bass and drum accompaniment for the later
half of the disc. I believe it’s definitely worthwhile for those
who wish to focus on Duke Ellington’s abilities as a pianist.