DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1944-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 881 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 29th in Classics' reissuance of Duke Ellington's recordings as a leader (which unfortunately skips most alternate takes) features his orchestra shortly after the recording ban of 1942-44 had finally ended. In addition to several vocal numbers for Joya Sherrill (including the hit "I'm Beginning to See the Light"), Al Hibbler and Kay Davis, there are features for trombonist Lawrence Brown ("Blue Cellophane") and altoist Johnny Hodges ("Mood to Be Wooed"), the original four-part studio version of "Black, Brown and Beige" (which totals 18 minutes), a four-song session headed by drummer Sonny Greer that features altoist Otto Hardwick, trumpeter Taft Jordan and clarinetist Barney Bigard (despite what it says in the liner notes, the pianist is the obscure Duke Brooks and not Duke Ellington) and the early V-disc version of "The Perfume Suite." Excellent music from an underrated edition of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Scott Yanow   Tracklist :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1945, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 951 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Duke Ellington's orchestra in 1945 was riding quite high, with annual Carnegie Hall concerts, constant performing and recording, and appearances on many radio broadcasts. This disc features both studio recordings and a few V-Discs taken from radio shows. The latter are most notable for including the extended two-part "Frankie and Johnny" and the 12-and-a-half-minute "New World A-Comin'," while the studio recordings are highlighted by "Jumpin' Room Only" and three of the four parts of "Perfume Suite." With such soloists as Tricky Sam Nanton, Lawrence Brown, Al Sears, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, and four trumpeters, Ellington's big band remained at the top of its field as World War II came to an end. Scott Yanow  Tracklist :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1947-1948 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1119 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 With the exception of "The Tattooed Bride," an extensive work from Duke Ellington's 1948 Carnegie Hall concert that was originally released on V-Disc, all of the music on this CD is taken from November-December 1947. Ellington was quite busy in the recording studios during this period (as were many bands), since it was known that a recording strike would most likely be taking place the following year. In addition to fine remakes of "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and an atmospheric vehicle for Kay Davis' voice on "On a Turquoise Cloud," the year-end work included the memorable six-part "Liberian Suite" (one of Ellington's best extended pieces) and his nearly atonal piano exploration on the intriguing "The Clothed Woman." While much of this music is available elsewhere, the performances are of high quality and well worth acquiring one way or another. Scott Yanow   Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1949-1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1191 (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the end of the 1948 recording strike, Duke Ellington's orchestra appeared on record for the first time in 22 months on November 1, 1949. The classic band was still largely intact (although Al Sears had departed and the trumpet section was a bit weaker than earlier), but its label (Columbia) was clearly hoping for some new hits. This collection has some unusual pieces along the way, including "Joog, Joog" and "The Piano Roll Blues," but there is an excellent four-song date featuring former Ellington sideman Oscar Pettiford on cello. Oddest of all is a September 21, 1950, date that mixes together Ellington, altoist Johnny Hodges, baritonist Harry Carney, and bassist Wendell Marshall with boppish trumpeter Red Rodney, drummer Max Roach, and a variety of vocalists (Chubby Kemp, Sarah Ford, and Al Hibbler). Some of this material was formerly quite rare and, although it is not essential, Ellington completists may be particularly interested in this CD. Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

JAY McSHANN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1941-1943 | The Classics Chronological Series – 740 (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Twenty-one sides cut by Jay McShann and His Orchestra and the Jay McShann Quartet for Decca Records between 1941 and 1943, with Charlie Parker on about half of what's here, and stretching out on a handful of cuts. The highlight is the group's recording of "Confessin' the Blues," which was a huge hit and resulted in their recording of more than half a dozen similar vocal blues numbers, featuring Walter Brown (who wrote "Confessin'") on vocals. The material here is pretty much weighted to jump blues and boogie-woogie-style numbers, all of it hot and extraordinarily well-played. The pity is, between Decca's insistence on more songs like "Confessin' the Blues" (which was later covered by Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones, among others) and the 1942 recordings band, not much of McShann's repertory or Parker's more outstanding material from the period was laid down. What is here, however, is extraordinary, some of the tightest, bluesiest jazz you'll ever here, all in excellent sound as well, and Parker does soar on a large handful of these tracks. Bruce Eder  
Tracklist + Credits :

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK & AL HIBBLER - A Meeting of the Times (1972-2004) Atlantic Masters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On first glance this LP combines together a pair of unlikely musical partners; the unique multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Duke Ellington's former ballad singer Al Hibbler. However Rahsaan was very well acquainted with Ellington's music and he plays respectfully behind Hibbler on many of the standards, taking the wild "Carney and Bigard Place" as an instrumental. Hibbler (who did not record much this late in his career) is in good voice and phrases as eccentrically as ever on such songs as "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and "I Didn't Know About You." One leftover selection from Rahsaan's session with singer Leon Thomas ("Dream") rounds out this surprising set. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me 4'38
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
2     Daybreak 3'12
Duke Ellington / John Latouche / Billy Strayhorn
3     Lover, Come Back to Me 3'48
Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg
4     Don't Get Around Much Anymore 2'53
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
5     This Love of Mine 4'55
Sol Parker / Henry Sanicola / Frank Sinatra
6     Carney and Bigard Place 5'34
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
7     I Didn't Know About You 4'01
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
8     Something 'Bout Believing 6'05
Duke Ellington
9     Dream 2'30
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Credits :
Bass – Major Holley (pistas: 9), Ron Carter (pistas: 1 to 8)
Drums – Charles Crosby (pistas: 9), Grady Tate (pistas: 1 to 8)
Piano – Hank Jones (pistas: 1 to 8), Lonnie Liston Smith (pistas: 9)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone – Rahaan Roland Kirk
Vocals – Al Hibbler (pistas: 1 to 5,7,8), Leon Thomas (pistas: 9)