Nothing sets an archivist's pulse racing quite like a pile of boxed reel-to-reel tapes. Eleven such specimens were auctioned recently on eBay, as pictured above. The text ran:
Item description from the seller
Duke Ellington REEL TO REEL Possible MASTERS Remastered by Jack Towers LOT of 11 I recently accquired these large format Reel To Reel Tapes from a person that buys out houses, estates, storage units and the like. They do smell musty but look pretty clean and well preserved. I mention the possiblity that these might be Masters and Remastered by Jack Towers because a lot recently sold for quite a bit and these have the same boxes and handwriiting on them. I am starting these at a much lower price and letting the experts and risk takers do what they do best. I will quickly respond to any and all questions and the only things that I can gurantee are that you will get the exact ones pictured, that I will ship them safely and quickly, and that I am being 100% honest as to how I am selling them. I hope these do end up with someone that will love them, play them, and really enjoy them. I have added shipping options. I am hoping that Fed EX shows up as the default option. I have included Media Mail but please check it against Fed Ex as Fed Ex may be less and provide a faster service. It is much less than Priority Mail. If it does not please check it first before emailing me because you should see a drop in shipping rates if it is not displaying as the defalult. If you do not want priority mail please let me know asap because I box things up and ship them out very quickly. I cannot use Priority Boxes so adding a note to your payment will get it packed up quicker.
The name of the late Jack Towers is often appended to sales of such tapes. Such was the case with a second lot auctioned some weeks earlier.
The contents of the tapes, so far as we can tell from what is written on the boxes and the notated inserts, are, in part (those Columbia studio sessions fro the fifties) reflected in the contents of several of the LPs on the Up-to-Date label issued by Jerry Valburn through the 1980s. A friend and colleague of Jack Towers, the provenance of these particular tapes is perhaps confirmed with this association.
To the contents of the tapes themselves and a little detective work may shine a light.
The tape labelled Fairfield Jazz Festival 28 July 1956 is likely correct. This recording found its way onto a commercial issue and may be heard here.
The tape labelled Taniment Playhouse 27 June, 1959 again corresponds to a recording which does exist among collectors. A couple of the tracks have appeared on this album. The full discographical information courtesy ellingtonia.com) is as follows:
Concert, Playhouse
Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Andres Marenguito(t); Clark Terry(t,flh); Ray Nance(t,vn,v); Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders(tb); Jimmy Hamilton(cl,ts); Russell Procope(cl,as); Johnny Hodges(as); Paul Gonsalves(ts); Harry Carney(cl,as,bar); Duke Ellington(p); Jimmy Woode(sb); Jimmy Johnson(d); Lil Greenwood, Ozzie Bailey(v)
Take The "A" Train (theme)
¬ Black And Tan Fantasy
- | Creole Love Call
_|The Mooch
Perdido
Sophisticated Lady
Sonnet To Hank Cinq
What Else Can You Do With A Drum? - vOB
Autumn Leaves - vOB
Hand Me Down Love - vOB
Tenderly
V.I.P. Boogie
Haupé
Flirtibird
All Of Me
Take The "A" Train - vRN
Take The "A" Train
Skin Deep
Medley
- 1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
- 2. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - vOB
- 3. In A Sentimental Mood
- 4. Mood Indigo
- 5. I'm Beginning To See The Light
- 6. Sophisticated Lady
- 7. Caravan
- 8. Satin Doll
- 9. Just Squeeze Me - vRN
- 10. It Don't Mean A Thing - vRN
- 11. Solitude
- 12. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
I Got It Bad - vLG
Walkin' And Singin' The Blues - vLG
¬ Diminuendo In Blue
_| Wailing Interval
Jones
The Carrolltown tape has been mis-labelled 27 June 1959, perhaps transposing the tainment tape date. The correct date is likely 22 June 1957. This recording was made available commercially on the Doctor Jazz label as All Star Road Band.
The tape labelled Ellington Cleveland Pops Orchestra 25 July 1956 is a concert which took place on that date at Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio.
The combined Cleveland Pops Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra played New World A-Comin’ in an arrangement by Luther Henderson. They were conducted by Louis Lane, the musical director of the Pops Orchestra and Ellington was the piano soloist. They also played Night Creature, another arrangement by Luther Henderson. Ellington conducted.
Following the interval, Ellington and his Orchestra played Skin Deep and a Medley with Jam With Sam and V.I.P. Boogie for the finale.
The tape labelled Ellington Manchester is likely he concert which took place on19 January 1963 as part of the Orchestra's tour of the UK at that time. Again, from ellingtonia.com:
Ellington Columbia 58
would all seem to be studio recordings for Columbia, some of which were issued on the Up-to-Date series of albums.
Although the lot lists 11 tapes, there are, in fact 12 pictured. One tape is labelled (or mis-labelled) Ellington World Complete 1943. The title is struck through. And on the very top of the pile there appears to be a smaller tape in a box which does not seem to feature in the content descriptors.
Update:
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