ellington live: April 2015

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Monday, 27 April 2015

Gran Rex

Rare 1968 DUKE ELLINGTON Signed Autograph Theater Program American Jazz Pianist

Description: very rare vintage “Gran Rex” (*) theatre program, hand signed by the famous American composer, pianist and jazz bandleader Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974). Black and white theater program with color advertising on the other side. Green ink hand signed, circa 1968 (**)

Dimensions:

Folded: 4-¼ x 6 inches (10.5 cm x 15 cm)

Extended: 6 x 12- ¼ inches (15 cm x 31 cm)

Condition: Slightly stained here and there. Bent at the middle and upper corners. Pined to the upper left corner. Otherwise, fine to very fine overall condition.

(*) The “Gran Rex” is an Art Deco style theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina which opened on 1930’s, as the largest cinema in South America. Located near the centre of the city, at Corrientes Avenue (known as “the street that never sleeps”) is one of the city's most important venues for the staging of international shows.

(**) This program corresponds to the Duke Ellington and his Orchestra show, that took place at the “Gran Rex” theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 12, 1968. The color advertising on the back side includes a photo of the “Gran Rex” front and a picture of the very famous iconic Tango singer Carlos Gardel, with Corrientes Avenue as background.

Sunday, 26 April 2015

Illuminated manuscript

News just in of a new coffee table book celebrating Billy Strayhorn in his centenary year. The book may be pre-ordered here.

Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life is a stunning collection of essays, photographs, and ephemera celebrating Billy Strayhorn, one of the most significant yet under-appreciated contributors to 20th century American music. Released in commemoration of Strayhorn's centennial, this luxurious coffee-table book offers intimate details of the composer's life from musicians, scholars, and Strayhorn's closest relatives. Perhaps best known for his 28-year collaborative role as Duke Ellington's "writing and arranging companion," Strayhorn has emerged in recent years as an even more meritorious force in shaping the jazz canon. "Strayhorn" delves into every stage of Billy's career, beginning with his abusive upbringing and early success to later partnerships with Lena Horne and the Copasetics. Rich with insights, the book covers topics such as his music, family, intellectual pursuits, involvement with civil rights, and open homosexuality. Featuring contributions from Strayhorn's biographer David Hajdu, film director Rob Levi, music scholar Walter van de Leur, as well as lush photography and rare memorabilia like handwritten scores, this is a book to be treasured by jazz aficionados and music lovers everywhere. Enthralling and visually captivating, "Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life" lauds a beloved jazz legend and captures a prodigious legacy that will influence generations to come.

Sunday, 19 April 2015

Venu Dimanche...

From Maison du Duke, here is a trailer for the forthcoming CD/DVD presentation of The Duke Orchestra's performance last year of Ellington's Sacred Music. The standard of musicianship and the beauty of the presentation is astounding.

The set may be pre-ordered from Maison du Duke here along with the itinerary fro a proposed tour of cathedrals through June.

Thursday, 16 April 2015

The Conny Plank Session

From Elmore magazine:

Revolutionary jazz composer Duke Ellington’s Conny Plank Session will finally see the light of day this July. For those unfamiliar with German sound engineer and producer Conny Plank, he rose to prominence for his work with Kraftwerk and Cluster. Stories have been told of this collaboration for many years, and we will finally have a chance to hear it this summer thanks to Grönland Records.

While each tale varies greatly, nearly all of them contain Ellington re-listening to the takes and admiring Planks’ work. German musician/writer Henrik Von Holtum writes, “the likelihood of finding a good, unreleased Duke Ellington recording is slight at best. When Grönland Records called and told me they had found exactly that in Conny Plank’s estate and asked me if I wanted to give it a listen, I felt pretty honored, and excited.”

Von Holtum continues, “The music of Duke Ellington is – in my worldview – to jazz what Bach’s oeuvre is to classical music: THE great benchmark.” From the sounds of it the session is unbelievable and may even be considered a crucial perspective on Ellington’s storied career. Ellington rose to stardom throughout the 30’s and 40’s and played what many consider to be some of the most important standards in jazz such as Take the 'A' Train, which was originally written by Billy Strayhorn. The Conny Plank Session comes out on July 10th via Gronland.

(My highlighting)