The Jasmine Releases: Discography 3

 

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: Columbia Vocal Rarities

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

14 August 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch);Chester Crumpler(v)

Women, Women, Women vRN

Maybe I Should Change My Ways vCCr

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

1 September 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch); n/k(v)

Put Yourself In My Place Baby vn/k

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

29 September 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Billy Strayhorn(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch); Dolores Parker, Woody Herman(v)

I Fell And Broke My Heart - vWH

Antidisestablishmentarianismist  vRN

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

1 October 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch)

You Gotta Crawl Before You Walk  vRN

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

2 October 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Billy Strayhorn(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch)

Kitty - vRN

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

14 November 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch); Dolores Parker(v)

Take Love Easy vDP

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

20 November 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Shelton Hemphill, Dud Bascomb, Francis Williams, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Billy Strayhorn(p); Fred Guy(g); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch), Dolores Parker(v)

Once Upon A Dream vDP

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

30 December 1947

Columbia Recording Session

Al Killian, Harold Baker(t); Lawrence Brown(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Johnny Hodges(as); Al Sears(ts); Harry Carney(bar); Duke Ellington(p); Junior Raglin(sb); Sonny Greer(d); Dolores Parker(v)

A Woman And A Man vDP

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

1 September 1949

Columbia Recording Session

Nelson Williams, Al Killian, Dave Burns, Harold Baker(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson(tb); Tyree Glenn(tb,vib); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Jimmy Forrest(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Wendell Marshall(sb); Sonny Greer(d,ch); Lu Elliott (v)

The Greatest There Is vLE

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

11 December 1951

Columbia Recording Session

Willie Cook, Harold Baker, Clark Terry(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, Juan Tizol(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Willie Smith(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p,tk); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d); Lloyd Oldham(v)

Blues At Sundown vLO

Duke Ellington out. Add Billy Strayhorn(p)

Azalea  vLO

Something To Live For  vLO

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

30 June 1952

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Cat Anderson, Clark Terry(t); Britt Woodman(tb); Russell Procope(as); Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(bar); Duke Ellington(p); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d); Betty Roche(v)

I Love My Lovin’ Lover  vBR

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

7 March 1957

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Arvell Shaw(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Margaret Tynes, Ozzie Bailey(v)

Pomegranate  vMTy, OB

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

13 March 1957

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Jimmy Grissom(v)

Rock City Rock  vJG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

20 March 1957

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Clark Terry(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Ozzie Bailey(v)

Your Love Has Faded  vOB

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

14 October 1957

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Clark Terry(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Jimmy Grissom(v)

My Heart, My Mind, My Everything vJG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

9 December 1957

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Cat Anderson, Andres Marenguito(t); Clark Terry(t,fl); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Jimmy Grissom(v)

Together vJG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

24 April 1958

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Willie Cook(t); Clark Terry(t,fl); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,ss,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn(p); Oscar Pettiford(sb); Sam Woodyard(d);Ozzie Bailey, Choir(v)

Duke’s Place  vOB,CHO

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

New York City, NY

6 August 1958

Columbia Recording Session, 30th Street Columbia Studio

Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Taft Jordan, Ray Nance(t); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope (cl,as); Johnny Hodge(as); Bill Graham(as, bar); Harry Carney (cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Lil Greenwood, Ozzie Bailey(v)

Hand Me Down Love  vOB

Walkin’ And Singin’ The Blues vLG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra 

Los Angeles, CA

1 June 1960

Columbia Recording Session. Radio Recorders.

Andres Marenguito, Willie Cook, Edward Mullens(t); Ray Nance(t,vl); Britt Woodman, Booty Wood, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney (cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington (p); Aaron Bell(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Milt Grayson(v)

Lost In Loveliness  vMG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

2 June 1960

Columbia Recording Session. Radio Recorders.

Andres Marenguito, Willie Cook, Edward Mullens(t); Ray Nance(t,vl); Britt Woodman, Booty Wood, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Aaron Bell(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Milt Grayson(v)

One More Once vMG

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

Los Angeles, CA

2 March 1961

Columbia Recording Session

Andres Marenguito, Willie Cook, Edward Mullens(t); Ray Nance(t,vl,v); Matthew Gee, Lawrence Brown, Juan Tizol(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope (cl,as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,bcl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Aaron Bell(sb); Sam Woodyard(d); Milt Grayson(v)

Love You Madly  vMG

Duke Ellington

Private party, Detroit, MI

January 1950

Duke Ellington(p,v)

I’m Afraid - vDE

Joog Joog - vDE

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

University of Michigan, Ann Arbour, Michigan

15 November 1951

Probable personnel: Clark Terry, Willie Cook, Francis Williams, Ray Nance, Dick Vance (t);  Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson (tb); Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Russell Procope (cl, as), Willie Smith (as), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (cl, bcl, as, bar); Duke Ellington (p); Wendell Marshall (b);  Louie Bellson (d); Nat ‘King’ Cole, Sarah Vaughan (v)

Love You Madly

The Jasmine Releases:

Duke Ellington On Mercer

The Capitol Singles Plus

Live: March 2025

Sunday, 2 March 2025 15:00 (EST)

Ellington Effect Workshop #49 with David Berger

The Gal From Joe's

About The Gal From Joe's

Minor key tunes with minimal chord progressions trace back to New Orleans. By the late 1930s several, like St. James Infirmary, Minnie The Moocher and Sing, Sing, Sing entered the American vernacular. Ellington composed quite a few minor key numbers himself including his theme (East St. Louis Toodle-oo), The Mooche, Black And Tan Fantasy and It Don’t Mean A Thing. Like East St. Louis Toodle-oo, The Gal From Joe’s is a big AB form—A section is in Bb minor and the B section is in Db (the relative major). The minor section is mostly very spare harmonically, alternating between tonic and leading tone diminished. The occasional use of tonic diminished, V/V, and shoulder chords create surprise. The major section mainly alternates between tonic and leading tone diminished chords. Both A and B have 8-bar bridges for relief.

Johnny Hodges plays the sketchy melody, taking liberties and making it his own while alternating with the pep section. He is the only soloist in the entire piece. The brass and saxes develop the A material with the pep section returning for the vamp ending. The studio recordings all end with a board fade. Subsequent airchecks extend the vamp and cadence in the relative major.

There is far more repetition in this chart than we are used to from Ellington. Sometimes the repeats change octaves and/or dynamics. Coupled with the simplicity of melody and harmony, one would think this recording would have become a Swing Era hit. Evidently, Ellington had faith in it and kept it in the band’s book through 1940. Hodges recorded it in the ‘50s with Strayhorn, and finally, Duke brought it back for a minute in 1971.

The main appeal is the relaxed swing groove. I don’t know who this gal was (Ellington would say, “A gentleman would never tell,”) but we can assume that she wasn’t flashy, dangerous, threatening, high maintenance, or terribly exciting, but she was so cool and comfortable to be with that she was irresistible.

Tickets available here.

Monday 3 March, 2025 18:30 (GMT)

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Repertory Big Band plays Ellington's New Orleans Suite

Director Ed Puddick

Eastside Jazz Club, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire 200 Jennens Road, B4 7XR

Tickets available here.

Saturday 15 March, 20:00 (EDT)

Tribute to Ellington with Heyward

Featuring Peabody Jazz and Cyrus Chestnut

Baltimore Symphony Jazz Orchestra

Classical Collection, Special Events Series

Jonathon Heyward, conductor

Cyrus Chestnut, piano

Peabody Jazz Ensemble

Sean Jones, Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair of Jazz Studies, director

Members of Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras

Members of BSO OrchKids

In this special tribute to Duke Ellington, BSO Music Director Jonathon Heyward celebrates the iconic jazz legend's philosophy of music "beyond category," intermingling America's greatest native art form with classical symphonic traditions.

ELLINGTON Works for Jazz Band

  Happy Go Lucky Local

  A Portrait of Louis Armstrong

  Concerto for Cootie

  Chinoiserie

ELLINGTON (arr. Henderson) Three Black Kings

ELLINGTON (arr. Peress) New World A-Comin’ for Piano, Jazz Band, and Orchestra

ELLINGTON (arr. Jensen) Come Sunday

ELLINGTON (arr. Schuller) Night Creature for Jazz Band and Orchestra

Tickets available here.

Saturday 22 March, 19:30 (GMT)

Harmony In Harlem Directed by Michael Kilpatrick

St Andrew's St Baptist Church, Cambridge CB2 3AR

Harmony In Harlem return to St Andrew's Street Baptist Church for more vibrant swing, exotica and jazz from the great composers Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, including two movements from The Far East Suite. Doors open at 7:00pm.

Tickets, £17.50/£7.50/£0  cash/card on the door or available online here.

Sunday 30 March 2025, 15:00

Ellington Effect Workshop #50: Concerto For Cootie

From David Berger:

Join us for the live Zoom workshop on Sunday, March 30th at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Can't make the live call?  Your ticket includes access to the video recording forever.

Each presentation will last around 2 hours, followed by a Q & A.

Joining any workshop also gets you access to the private Ellington Effect Facebook group, where lively discussions continue after the workshops finish.

Looking for the annual membership option?  Click here.

Buy this individual workshop

The Ellington Effect workshops take place once a month, and David picks a different Ellington composition to analyze for each one.  In about two hours, he talks through the piece note by note, line by line, analyzing the piece at both macro and micro levels.

David Berger has studied the music of Duke Ellington for over 50 years, and has transcribed over 500 Ellington and Strayhorn arrangements and compositions.  Because of this, he is able to make connections to Ellington's other pieces, talk about trends and eras in Ellington's writing, and discuss the influences of changing personnel on the music over time.

At the end of each workshop, David answers questions for a half hour or so.  These are always lively and fascinating, as workshop attendees tend to include some highly knowledgable Ellingtonians as well as plenty of intelligent musicians who ask insightful questions.

About Concerto For Cootie

Concerto For Cootie, along with Ko-Ko and The Mooche, is often cited as Ellington’s greatest composition. Unlike sports, the beauty of music (and all the arts) cannot and should not be compared. In sports there are winners and losers and lots of statistics that prove superiority, but even then, fans eternally argue about comparing eras.

To hold Ellington in the highest regard as the greatest jazz composer, one must take into account other styles of jazz and other eras. Considering breadth, depth, and totality of output, who can compare to the Maestro. Judging eras of Ellington using the same criteria, 1940-43 stands out as his most inspired, prolific, and in tune with contemporary American popular music tastes.

While Ko-Ko ushered in modern jazz, it went almost unnoticed by the Swing-crazed public. Concerto For Cootie, on the other hand, appealed to both hot and sweet band lovers while nudging the jazz envelope slightly. Not only is there something for everyone, but there is also an easily digested feast with universal appeal. Is this not what Bill Finegan was searching for in his obviously Elllington-inspired arrangement of Sunrise Serenade for Glenn Miller?

Following Duke’s previous concertos for Cootie, Rex, Johnny, and Barney, Ellington stuck with the classical concerto form with its two contrasting themes. Rather than placing the secondary theme in the traditional key of the dominant, Ellington opts for the darker and more provocative third-related shoulder chord key. Cootie’s switch from plunger to open horn shows off the two distinct sides of his personality while providing an added level of contrast between the two themes.

Like all concerti, this piece is an exploration into the relationship between the individual and society, or the self and the universe. We are at once a separate entity with free will, and simultaneously a part of the universal soul. Concerto For Cootie excels in the symbiotic relationship between the soloist and the ensemble—each part is integral to the whole. We relate to Cootie as ourselves and the ensemble as the world. Each part enriches the other without diminishing its own possibilities.

The initial studio recording caused a major change in the Ellington band’s personnel and direction. When the record was released in the summer of 1940, Benny Goodman’s lead trumpet player, Jimmy Maxwell (a big Ellington fan), who sat in the back row of the band bus, played the record over and over to Benny’s annoyance. Finally, Benny called out, “Say, Pops, come down here.” The ensuing conversation went:

Benny: Is that that band you like?

Jimmy: Yes, Duke Ellington.

Benny: Who is the trumpet player?

Jimmy: Cootie Williams.

Benny: Thanks, Pops.

That was it. Shortly afterwards, Benny called Cootie on the phone and offered him a job. $250 per week (Cootie was making $75 with Duke) plus after two years, he would bankroll Cootie’s own big band. Cootie told him that he would have to think about it. He immediately told Ellington about the offer, expecting Duke to make some kind of counteroffer, which he would take. But Ellington’s response was, “When opportunity knocks, far be it for me to stand in its way.” Cootie was crushed and reluctantly handed in his notice.

34 years later, when Cootie told me this story, he still had tears in his eyes. No one loved Ellington’s music more than him. I then asked him what it was like playing with Benny. He said that he loved it. I asked him, “Why?” His answer, “The rehearsals started on time and nobody talked.”

When he joined Benny’s band, Cootie became Maxwell’s roommate. To be able to stay in the same hotel with the white boys, to Jimmy’s embarrassment, Cootie carried Jimmy’s bags through the hotel lobbies and up to their room. When Jimmy protested and offered to carry Cootie’s bags, the ever-practical Cootie told Jimmy not to give it another thought. This is America.

Four years later, Ellington made some alterations to conform to the usual aaba 32-bar song format and Bob Russell added lyrics. Now titled Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, Ellington recorded a new arrangement featuring Al Hibbler’s vocal, which became an instant hit and has remained a standard ever since.

The Jasmine Releases: Discography 2

 

Duke Ellington On Mercer

Oscar Pettiford, his Cello and Quartet 

New York City, NY 13 September 1950

Duke Ellington(p); Oscar Pettiford(ce); Lloyd Trottman(sb); Jo Jones(d)

Perdido

Add Billy Strayhorn(cs)

Take The 'A' Train

Oscalypso

Billy Strayhorn out

Blues For Blanton

Blues No. 3

The Ellingtonians

New York City, NY 21 September 1950

Red Rodney(t); Johnny Hodges(as); Harry Carney(bar); Duke Ellington(mandolin piano); Wendell Marshall(sb); Max Roach(d)

The New Piano Roll Blues

Billy Strayhorn Trio

New York City, NY 3 October 1950

Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn(p); Wendell Marshall(sb)

Cotton Tail

C-Jam Blues

Flamingo

Bang Up Blues

Wild Bill Davis and his Real Gone Organ

New York City, NY October 1950

Wild Bill Davis(o);Duke Ellington(p); John Collins(g); Wendell Marshall(sb); Jo Jones(d)

Things Ain’t What They Used To Be

Billy Strayhorn Trio

New York City, NY November 1950

Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn(p); Joe Shulman(sb)

Tonk

Johnny Come Lately

In A Blue Summer Garden

Great Times

The Coronets

Detroit, MI 17 April 1951

Cat Anderson(t); Juan Tizol(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Willie Smith(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Billy Strayhorn(p); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d)

Night Walk

Moonlight Fiesta

She

The Happening

The Coronets

Boston, MA 18 May 1951

Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, Juan Tizol(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Willie Smith(as);Duke Ellington(p); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d)

Swamp Drum

Sultry Serenade

Duke Ellington out. Add Billy Strayhorn(p)

Indian Summer

Billy Strayhorn out. Add Duke Ellington(p)

Britt-And-Butter Blues

The Coronets

New York City, NY 1 June 1951

Juan Tizol(tb); Willie Smith(as); Duke Ellington(p); Billy Strayhorn(o); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d)

Caravan

The Coronets

New York City, NY 19 June 1951

Juan Tizol(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Willie Smith(as); Duke Ellington(p); Wendell Marshall(sb); Louie Bellson(d)

Alternate

Hoppin’ John

Duke Ellington out. Add Billy Strayhorn(p)

Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid

The Jasmine releases: Capitol Singles Plus

Take The A Tone...

Jack Chambers' groundbreaking new book A Tone Parallel to Duke Ellington The man in the Music sees publication on 17 March 2025. Details of the book are printed below. Copies may be pre-ordered here.

A Tone Parallel to Duke Ellington

The Man in the Music

Jack Chambers 

Ellington’s music with fresh thematic explorations to delight music lovers

Description

In this insightful new volume, Jack Chambers explores Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington’s music thematically, collating motifs, memes, and predilections that caught Ellington's attention and inspired his restless muse. In presenting Ellington’s work in this manner, Chambers situates the music in the context in which it was created—historical, political, musical, biographic, and personal. Chambers offers a novel kind of access to the man and the music.

Ellington’s music presents a daunting task for listeners because of its sheer volume. The numbers defy credulity. Ellington (1899–1974) wrote more than two thousand compositions in numerous genres, including pop songs, big band swing, revues, hymns, tone poems, soundtracks, suites, ballets, concertos, and symphonies. Where to start? The themes in this book offer natural entry points. They provide the context in which the music came into being, with enough biography to satisfy music lovers, even those who come to the book knowing very little about Ellington’s life. Each chapter features its own playlist as a guide to the music discussed, and, in some cases, fuller listings in case readers might want to pursue a topic further. In the early chapters, Chambers covers topics that occupied Ellington through much of his career, and in later chapters he covers more specific themes, some of them from Ellington's last decades, which are less well studied. The music, Ellington said, is his “continuing autobiography,” and it reveals the man behind it.

Reviews

"A Tone Parallel to Duke Ellington is original and stimulating, a significant contribution to the literature on the music of Duke Ellington. Written in an elegant and engaging style, the book offers new insight to Ellington scholars but at the same time offers an accessible point of entry to readers new to Ellington’s work, life, and times. Demonstrating exemplary knowledge and expertise, Jack Chambers’ thematic approach sheds new light on Ellington’s achievements, making astute observations on their limits and offering much food for thought on Ellington’s legacy and its future. This is a book for scholars, students, Ellington’s legion of admirers, and anyone interested in one of the most culturally significant figures of the twentieth century."

- Ian Bradley, former editor of Blue Light, the Duke Ellington Society UK journal

"As we mark the 125th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s birth, and the 50th year since his passing, Jack Chambers’s book will be a focal point for the attention generated about Ellington. It is a valuable entry point for new Ellington fans."

- Steven C. Bowie, author of Concerto for Cootie: The Life and Times of Cootie Williams

JACK CHAMBERS is professor at the University of Toronto and an acclaimed author and teacher of music and language. He is a longtime con- tributor to the Globe and Mail (Toronto), Coda magazine, and other jazz journals, and a participant in annual conferences. His jazz writings include the prizewinning biography Milestones:  e Music and Times of Miles Davis; Bouncin’ with Bartok:  e Incomplete Works of Richard Twardzik; and numerous articles and reviews.