DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1924-1927 | The Classics Chronological Series – 539 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD contains the first 23 recordings released under Duke Ellington's name. The initial ten selections, dating from November 1924 to June 1926, are quite intriguing because, with the exception of the very first date (resulting in "Choo Choo" and "Rainy Nights"), the primitive band does not sound like Ellington's. While the first date has cornetist Bubber Miley, trombonist Charlie Irvis (Tricky Sam Nanton's predecessor), and altoist Otto Hardwick as the front line, the following eight numbers have shifting personnel and, despite the occasional presence of trombonist Jimmy Harrison (who takes two vocals) and clarinetist Don Redman, the music is under-rehearsed and rough. But on "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (the band's theme) and "Birmingham Breakdown" from November 29, 1926, the Ellington sound was finally together and from then on the band's output was often classic. Other highlights of this historic disc are "Hop Head" and the initial version of "Black and Tan Fantasy," with such soloists as Miley, Nanton, and Hardwick, and with Duke himself on piano. Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1927-1928 | The Classics Chronological Series – 542 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As usual with the Classics series, the music on this CD is released complete and in chronological order, covering the music originally released by several record labels but without including alternate takes. In the case of Duke Ellington, because he would frequently record the same song slightly rearranged on several occasions for different companies, there are multiple versions of some titles on this CD, but the alternate versions that he made for the labels have been left out. During the very important period covered by this disc, the Duke Ellington Orchestra (having recently found their sound) was hired by the Cotton Club as the house band and they hit the big time. Certainly it is obvious that they deserved fame since this set has classic versions of such songs as "Creole Love Call" (famous for being the first entirely wordless vocal, featuring Adelaide Hall), "Black and Tan Fantasy," their theme song "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," "Jubilee Stomp," and other hot numbers. Featured along the way are such greats as trumpeter Bubber Miley, trombonist Joe Tricky Sam Nanton, and altoist Otto Hardwick. Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1928 | The Classics Chronological Series – 550 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

During 1928, the main stars of Duke Ellington's orchestra (in addition to the leader/pianist/composer/arranger) were trumpeter Bubber Miley, trombonist Joe Tricky Sam Nanton, clarinetist Barney Bigard, and (starting in June) altoist Johnny Hodges. All of the master takes (including ones for different labels) are being reissued in the Classics series. This disc is highlighted by "Black Beauty" (particularly Ellington's solo piano version), the heated "Hot and Bothered" (featuring guest guitarist Lonnie Johnson and singer Baby Cox), "Louisiana," and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love." Two songs feature singer Ozie Ware backed by a small combo taken from Ellington's big band. This CD has plenty of timeless classics, most of which are also available in other reissue programs. Scott Yanow  Tracklist :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1928-1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 559 (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 The main change for the Duke Ellington Orchestra during this period was that the increasingly unreliable Bubber Miley (an alcoholic) was fired by Ellington in January 1929 and quickly replaced by Cootie Williams. Otherwise, the personnel was stable, featuring trombonist Joe Tricky Sam Nanton, altoist Johnny Hodges, and clarinetist Barney Bigard as key soloists along with trumpeters Miley, Arthur Whetsol, and Freddie Jenkins. Most of the selections from this era border on the classic, with highlights including Miley's spot on "Bandanna Babies," "I Must Have That Man," "Harlemania," and a two-part version of "Tiger Rag." Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1929 | The Classics Chronological Series – 569 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Duke Ellington's 1929 band found Cootie Williams gradually developing into a major trumpet soloist alongside the contrasting styles of Arthur Whetsol and Freddy Jenkins. Also in the band during the era was the remarkable trombonist Joe Tricky Sam Nanton, altoist Johnny Hodges, clarinetist Barney Bigard, and baritonist Harry Carney. Among the many underrated gems on this CD are "The Dicty Glide," "Stevedore Stomp," "Freeze and Melt," "Cotton Club Stomp," "Saturday Night Junction," and the intriguing two-part "A Nite at the Cotton Club," which is narrated by Irving Mills. Scott Yanow     Tracklist :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1929-1930 | The Classics Chronological Series – 577 (1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Trying to make sense of Duke Ellington's massive catalog is one of the more daunting tasks facing jazz lovers. His early output alone includes scores of songs, often with several different versions and a variety of record labels to consider. For completists, the Classics label offers a chronological route covering the mid-'20s through the mid-'40s (without a lot in the way of alternate takes). And while not as strong in content as roundups on Bluebird or Columbia, these discs offer one the thrilling opportunity of witnessing Ellington go from novelty jungle material to sophisticated early swing and on into the annals of jazz legend with those stellar early-'40s sides. This Classics title takes in Duke's 1929-1930 period, and is squarely one for die-hard fans: It mostly includes minor cuts, many bearing the residue of the band's Cotton Club set pieces (hence the presence of washboard player Bruce Johnson and the Whoopee Makers). On the more serious side, there are a good number of cuts showing off Ellington's burgeoning writing talents, like "Flaming Youth," "Saturday Night Function," and "Jazz Lips," and loads of fine playing by Joe Nanton, Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard, and the newly arrived Cootie Williams. All in all, a fairly solid collection, but one that's best heard after checking out a few early Ellington retrospectives first. Stephen Cook       Tracklist :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1930, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 596 (1991) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Although susceptible to some of the commercial pressures that other bands were feeling in 1930, which accounts for the inclusion of a few pop numbers and some added vocalists, in general the recordings of Duke Ellington were at the same high level in 1930 that they had been in 1929. There are many gems on this set, including "Double Check Stomp," a remake of "Black and Tan Fantasy," "Old Man Blues," and the two earliest recordings of "Mood Indigo," and even a throwaway such as "That Lindy Hop" is still worth hearing. The Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, and Harry Barris) guest on "Three Little Words," and star soloists throughout the program include Cootie Williams, Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, and Johnny Hodges. Scott Yanow     Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1931-1932 | The Classics Chronological Series – 616 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 During the period covered by this CD, Duke Ellington added trombonist Lawrence Brown and singer Ivie Anderson to his group. Other than Frank Marvin on the opening "Is That Religion," the brief era of so-so outside vocalists came to an end. Bing Crosby's appearance on "St. Louis Blues" is on a much higher level. Other highlights of this very good set including the second (and superior) version of Ellington's extended piece "Creole Rhapsody," "It's Glory," "The Mystery Song," the original version of "It Don't Mean a Thing," two three-song medleys of Duke's hits and a classic rearrangement of "Bugle Call Rag." Scott Yanow    Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1933 | The Classics Chronological Series – 637 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

1933 found Duke Ellington going overseas for the first time, and the four songs (and a short interview) that he recorded in London are on this CD. Otherwise things stayed pretty consistent with no major personnel change (Otto Hardwick rejoined the band), Ivie Anderson proving to be a strong asset with her vocals, and such gems as "Merry Go Round," "Sophisticated Lady," "Drop Me Off in Harlem," and "I'm Satisfied" offering further proof that Ellington was the master of the three-minute record, making every bar count. As usual with the Classics series, all of the master takes are included on this CD (repeating songs if they were recorded on different days) but leaving off the alternate takes.  Scott Yanow          Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937 | The Classics Chronological Series – 675 (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

In addition to seven selections by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, this interesting CD has a number released by Ivie Anderson's name ("The Old Plantation") and small-group dates full of Ellington stars but led by Cootie Williams, Barney Bigard, and Johnny Hodges, plus four numbers by the Gotham Stompers (which mixes together Ellington and Chick Webb sidemen). No matter who is leading the particular group, Ellington is very much under control, often using the more spontaneous combo settings as a way of trying out new tunes. Among the more memorable selections are "Blue Reverie," "Whispering Tiger" (which is really "Tiger Rag"), "Caravan," and "Azure." Scott Yanow   Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 700 (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

1938 was a very busy year for Duke Ellington in the recording studios, whether making classics with his big band or being the pianist and organizer of sessions allegedly led by his sidemen. This disc has plenty of big-band sides and combo dates led by clarinetist Barney Bigard, trumpeter Cootie Williams, and altoist Johnny Hodges. Most notable among the selections are "Stepping Into Swing Society," "Echoes of Harlem," "The Gal From Joe's," "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart," and "Jeep's Blues," but there are no throwaways among these three-minute gems.  Scott Yanow      Tracklist + Credits :

DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 820 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1940 may not have been as popular with the general public as that of Glenn Miller, but they were one of the great big bands of all time. The best way to acquire their music is to get all of the alternate takes, which are available through RCA/Bluebird, but the Classics series has done a fine job of reissuing all of the master takes. This particular disc has a small-group session apiece led by altoist Johnny Hodges and cornetist Rex Stewart along with nine songs from the big band. Among the gems are "In a Mellotone," "Five O'Clock Whistle," "Warm Valley" (heard twice), "Daydream," and "Linger Awhile." In addition, the four classic Jimmy Blanton-Duke Ellington bass-piano duets (which include "Pitter Panther Patter" and "Mr. J.B. Blues") are included and find Blanton sounding quite futuristic, almost like Charles Mingus 15 years later. Scott Yanow Tracklist :

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 :

JOHNNY HODGES AN HIS ORCHESTRA - 1945-1950 {CC, 1189} (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

John Cornelius Hodges began working with Duke Ellington in 1928 and soon became one of the prime voices in the Ellington orchestra. Hodges began leading his own recording ensembles -- actually scaled-down versions of Duke's band -- in 1937. Occasionally sitting in with other leaders like Lionel Hampton, Hodges also led groups of his own, including a quartet at New York's Apollo Club during the summer of 1948 and five of the six bands heard on this first volume of his complete recordings in chronological order. (All records issued under Hodges' name prior to 1947 have been included in the massive Classics chronology of Duke Ellington.) Sandy Williams' Big Eight was one of many ensembles recording for the Hot Record Society -- and one of the very best of them. "Mountain Air" and "After Hours on Dream Street" are slow, smooth, languid, and lovely, with Hodges playing pretty for the people. "Sumpin' Jumpin' Round Here" is a smart strut with a hint of Latin American rhythm built into its caboose. Harry Carney, who fortunately appears on fully half of the recordings reissued here, does some friendly nudging with his horn on this pleasantly stimulating dance tune. "Chili con Carney" is a light bounce honoring the baritone saxophonist without granting him any more solo space than a couple of brief breaks. The next four selections appeared on the small and ephemeral Wax label in 1947. Carney is roundly featured on Jerome Kern's moody existential opus "Why Was I Born?," and Hodges softly interprets Walter Donaldson's "You're Driving Me Crazy" in what must be one of the slowest and most gentle versions of this song ever recorded. "Key Largo" carries a whiff of the Caribbean in its dulcet tones and lapping rhythm. Billy Strayhorn's "Triple Play" is marvelously cool mood music, elegantly rendered by a quintet with the composer at the piano. When Hodges recorded for the Mercer and Sunrise labels, he included longtime Ellington trombonist Lawrence Brown, Chick Webb's star trumpeter Taft Jordan, up-and-coming tenor saxophonist Al Sears, and a rhythm section of Billy Strayhorn, Oscar Pettiford, and trombonist Wilbur DeParis sitting in on the drums! Each performance is a delight. "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" is the classic Strayhorn/Hodges still life. "Longhorn Blues" and "Faraway Blues" both feel like close cousins to "Jeep's Blues." On the second Mercer session Harry Carney replaces Brown, Harold "Shorty" Baker is the trumpeter, and Sonny Greer does wonderful things with the drums. Anyone who wants to hear Strayhorn cook a little on the piano should check out the groove track "Searsy's Blues," which is somewhat of an advanced approach to a boogie. Its tempo reappears exactly on "Let the Zoomers Drool" -- a "zoomer" being hip vernacular for a mooch. Years later, Dave Frishberg liked "A Little Taste" so much that he composed some of his funniest lyrics based on its nonchalant contours. This satisfying CD ends with the first of Hodges' Parisian sessions from 1950, with Raymond Fol sitting in with a pack of Ellingtonians when Duke declined to participate for contractual reasons. These tracks are notable for the presence of trombone ace Quentin "Butter" Jackson and voluntary expatriate tenor saxophonist Don Byas, who blows a splintering run during the crackling strut "We Fooled You." arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1     Mountain Air 3'02
Cat Anderson / Tab Smith
2     Sumpin' Jumpin' Round Here 3'00
Brick Fleagle   
3     After Hours on Dream Street 3'20
Brick Fleagle   
4     Chili con Carney 2'38
Harry Carney   
5     Key Largo 2'37
Benny Carter / Lou Carter / Karl Suessdorf / Leah Worth
6     You're Driving Me Crazy 2'53
Walter Donaldson   
7     Why Was I Born? 3'12
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern   
8     Triple Play 2'42
Billy Strayhorn   
9     Who Struck John? 2'51
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges   
10     It Shouldn't Happen to a Dream 3'03
Duke Ellington / Don George / Johnny Hodges   
11     June's Jumpin' 2'48
Johnny Hodges   
12     Violet Blue 3'05
Billy Strayhorn   
13     A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing 2'53
Billy Strayhorn
14     Frisky 4'48
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
15     Longhorn Blues 2'50
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
16     Far Away Blues 2'53
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
17     Searsy's Blues 2'44
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
18     A Little Taste 3'08
Cannonball Adderley / Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
19     Let the Zoomers Drool 3'00
Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges
20     Charlotte Russe 3'08
Johnny Hodges   
21     St. Germain-des-Prés Blues 3'22
Don Byas
22     Good to the Last Drop 3'13
Gene Page
23     Only Wish I Knew 3'06
Don Byas / Raymond Fol
24     We Fooled You 2'46
Harold Baker / Johnny Hodges

JOHNNY HODGES AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1950-1951 (2002) The Classics Chronological Series – 1248 | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Johnny Hodges' 1950 Parisian Vogue recordings -- augmented here with four sides waxed in Copenhagen for the Danish Tono label -- form a prologue to the records Hodges would make with Norman Granz from 1951-1955. The band heard on the first five tracks was essentially a condensed Ellington group with Don Byas sitting in and Raymond Fol at the piano. "Last Leg Blues" is a saucy, loping exercise in two parts that incorporates at one point a lick from "Tuxedo Junction." This is a good example of what seems at first like an almost too simple musical idea bearing incredible fruit, Jimmy Hamilton's clarinet and Hodges' alto working it up handsomely into an impressive exploration of the blues. Composed by Hamilton, the feisty, bop-like "Nix It, Mix It" is one of the most exciting tracks included here. "Time on My Hands" feels like an oasis of lyrical familiarity among so many relatively uncomplicated melodies designed for jamming rather than reflection. Hamilton, Byas, and Hodges communicate wonderfully during this gorgeous ballad. Three of the four Danish recordings feature vocalist Chubby Kemp, whose slightly nasal voice sounds like Anita Love or maybe even Little Esther Phillips if she'd sung jazz. "Tea for Two" is a pleasant surprise, with Hamilton's clarinet sending up bubbles over Quentin "Butter" Jackson's mellifluous trombone during the opening. Hodges and Hamilton both deliver spirited solos and the antiquated Vincent Youmans confection grows into something intricate, ornate, and exhilarating. Back in Paris with the band scaled down to a sextet, Hodges led his men through a stunning rendition of Juan Tizol's "Perdido," eased them into "Mood Indigo," "Sweet Lorraine," and the 19th century melody "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree," here rendered into a smooth, cool exercise in swing. "Rendez-Vous at the Hot Club" moves briskly and swings hard. With the session of January 15, 1951, Hodges was back on American soil, initiating a collaborative relationship with producer Norman Granz that would continue through 1955 and occasionally rekindle over the years. According to Stanley Dance, "You Blew Out the Flame in My Heart" was given the erroneous title "Rabbit's Blues" in an early recording ledger, and the misnomer continues to resurface in discographies to this very day. Over the next five years, Hodges would record an enormous amount of material for the Mercury, Clef, and Norgran labels, often relying upon tenor saxophonist Al Sears to help steer the operation as the music evolved into relative modernity while rooted in strong elements of blues, ballads, and swing. arwulf arwulf

Tracklist :
1     Jump, That's All 3'38
Harold Baker
2     Last Legs Blues, Pt. 1 3'09
Johnny Hodges
3     Last Legs Blues, Pt. 2 3'02
Johnny Hodges
4     Nix It, Mix It 3'22
Jimmy Hamilton
5     Time on My Hands 3'22
Harold Adamson / Mack Gordon / Vincent Youmans
6     Run About 3'07
Johnny Hodges    
7     Wishing and Waiting 3'27
Johnny Hodges    
8     Get That Geet 3'22
Johnny Hodges    
9     That's Grand 3'28
Johnny Hodges    
10     Skip It 3'21
Johnny Hodges    
11     Mellow Mood 3:18     
Flandrake /     Williams
12     How I Wish I Was Around 3:29     
 Flandrake  
13     I Met a Guy 3:09     
Connors / Flandrake  
14     Tea for Two 3'18
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
15     Perdido 3'06
Ervin Drake / Hans Lengsfelder / Juan Tizol
16     In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree 3'42
Egbert VanAlstyne / Harry Williams    
17     Mood Indigo 3'47
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
18     Sweet Lorraine 3'11
Clifford R. Burwell / Mitchell Parish
19     Rendez-Vous at the Hot Club 3'05
Traditional
20     Hop, Skip and Jump 2'29
Duke Ellington
21     Rabbit's Blues (You Blew Out the Flame in My Heart) 3'37
Johnny Hodges
22     Something to Pat Your Foot To 2'55
Al Sears
23     Blue Fantasia 3'13
Johnny Hodges
24     My Reward 3'09
Duke Ellington

JOHNNY HODGES AN HIS ORCHESTRA - 1951-1952 {CC, 1389} (2005) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Between January 1951 and August 1955, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges took an extended vacation from Duke Ellington and led his own ensembles in a remarkably fruitful series of recording sessions produced by Norman Granz. Volume three in the Classics Johnny Hodges chronology opens with four outstanding tracks cut on February 28, 1951. Since Hodges was still drawing a salary from Ellington during the session that took place on January 15, these are the first recordings he made as an independent artist after severing the professional umbilicus that had tethered him to Duke's orchestra since the late '20s. Johnny Hodges was one of Ellington's cardinal voices, and musically, they more or less grew up together; even when technically separated, both men continued to make music that reflected a glowing spectrum of shared sensibilities. Most of the Hodges/Granz bands were peppered with Ellingtonians, and several are in evidence here; trombonist Lawrence Brown, drummer Sonny Greer, Billy Strayhorn sitting in at the piano on "Globe Trotter" and tenor man Al Sears serving as "musical director" and booking agent. The session of March 3, 1951 opened with "Castle Rock," Searsy's gutsy self-portrait in R&B that made it onto entertainment industry charts and into jukeboxes for a little while as a "hit." The rest of these recordings were fated to exist as they do today -- as excellent music suspended in an amorphous category stamped with the word "jazz"; marginalized by a mainstream pop culture obsessed with star vocalists, specious spectacle and anything pasted over with the meaningless word "new." These recordings made by a series of septets under the leadership of Johnny Hodges in New York and San Francisco during 1951 and 1952, feature (in addition to the artists already mentioned) such able practitioners as trumpeter Emmett Berry, saxophonist Flip Phillips, bassist Red Callender, drummer J.C. Heard and Ellington vocalist Al Hibbler -- and these timeless performances still await wider recognition. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1     Good Queen Bass 3:05     
Johnny Hodges
2     Jeep's Blues 2:59
Ellington, Hodges
3     Solitude 2:56
Eddie DeLange / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
4     The Jeep Is Jumping 2:50
Ellington, Hodges    
5     Castle Rock 2:53
Al Sears    
6     Sophisticated Lady 3:11
Duke Ellington / Irving Mills / Mitchell Parish
7     Globe Trotter 3:05
Hodges
8     Gentle Breeze 3:16
Sears    
9     Sideways 3:04
Lovett    
10     A Pound of Blues 3:11
Lovett    
11     Wham 3:04
Hodges    
12     Who's Excited 3:05
Mercer / Hodges
13     Sweeping the Blues Away 3:19
Ellington, Hodges    
14     Day Dream 3:21
Ellington, Latouche, Strayhorn
15     Standing Room Only  2:50
Hodges
16     Below the Azores 3:06
Lovett
17     Tenderly 3:21
Walter Gross / Jack Lawrence
18     Sweet Georgia Brown 6:01
Ben Bernie / Kenneth Casey / Maceo Pinkard
19     Duke's Blues 6:09
Hodges    
20     Tea for Two 3:02
Irving Caesar / Vincent Youmans
21     This Is My Night to Love 3:04
Ford
22     What I'm Gotchere 3:23
The Cue
Credits :
Billy Strayhorn  Piano
Lloyd Trotman  Bass
Anatol Schenker  Liner Notes
Barney Richmond  Bass
Lawrence D. Brown  Trombone
Sonny Greer  Drums
Emmett Berry  Trumpet
Red Callender  Bass
J.C. Heard  Drums
Leroy Lovett  Piano, Celeste
Al Hibbler  Violin, Vocals
Johnny Hodges  Sax (Alto)
Flip Phillips  Sax (Tenor)
Al Sears  Sax (Tenor)