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Grex > Music2 > #191: The Duke Ellington Centennial |  |
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krj
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The Duke Ellington Centennial
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Apr 30 03:51 UTC 1999 |
I hope everyone had a Happy Duke Ellington Day on Thursday!
I was glad to see the media pulling out all the stops for the centennial
of Duke Ellington's birth. NPR was the leader, starting last week with
a series of stories on "Fresh Air;" "All Things Considered" ran a piece
today asking "classical" musicians if Ellington could now be added to
the canon of Western classical music. And Russ Cage kindly alerted me
to WDET-FM's full day of Ellington's music, so on the way home I got
to listen to the 1943 version of Ellington's "Black Brown and Beige"
suite, which I had not heard in years.
It's not that Ellington was overlooked during his lifetime: I was
interested to hear about the Pulitzer Prize's refusal to honor
Ellington in 1965, which was a story I did not know. But Ellington
had plenty of honors -- I always figured that when the State Department
asked him to make several overseas tours as a cultural ambassador, it was a
sure sign of official approval. And he had commercial success --
he was wealthy enough that for the last 20+ years of his life he could
pay his orchestra -- which no longer made a profit -- from his songwriting
royalties.
Me, I celebrated in a crass commercial way by stocking up on some of the
Ellington reissues which were brought out for the anniversary.
I'll write a few quickie reviews as I get a chance, and also enter a few
random thoughts from the media coverage.
And if any of you saw the Ellington band live in its day, or if anyone
saw the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at Hill last week performing its
Ellington show, I hope you'll tell us about it.
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| 51 responses total. |
md
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response 1 of 51:
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Apr 30 10:45 UTC 1999 |
My dad was an Ellington fan, and took me to a concert
once when I was a kid. I remember thinking that this
was one of those grownup things kids were expected to
like. Some of it didn't make sense to me. Ellington
himself was a rather intimidating presence. Smiling
genially, but really rather cool and professional
underneath.
It wasn't until a few years later that I started
having the "Oh *yeah*!" response when I'd hear some
Ellington music on the radio. "Satin Doll" was the
first song of his that hit me like that, and it's
still one of my favorites. "Take the A Train"
came second.
I heard the NPR special yesterday afternoon.
Interviews with Wm Bolcom and others. Ellington
definitely does not fit into the classical tradition,
and I wish people would stop trying to make him
do so. He was a great jazz composer and pianist.
What's so bad about that, that you have to try and
prove he was something else before you can respect him?
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remmers
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response 2 of 51:
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Apr 30 12:27 UTC 1999 |
Of course you shouldn't have to do that.
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tpryan
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response 3 of 51:
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May 1 18:29 UTC 1999 |
as Stevie Wonder said:
Sir Duke, he is the King of them all 'yall
Wonder if he'll get any royalities for that.
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other
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response 4 of 51:
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May 2 05:12 UTC 1999 |
i was at the lincoln center jazz orchestra concert last friday (23 april),
but unfortunately, i was unable to be paying attention to what was going on
onstage, musically...
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polygon
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response 5 of 51:
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May 4 00:01 UTC 1999 |
I was in the second balcony, so I could hear, but barely see at all.
Of course the acoustics of Hill are marvelous, but there's a definite
vertigo downside to being up there.
I had not seen Marsalis before.
It was an excellent all-Ellington concert. Well, songs *associated*
with Ellington, not necessarily written by him.
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polygon
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response 6 of 51:
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May 4 00:01 UTC 1999 |
(Maybe "songs" is the incorrect term here.)
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katie
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response 7 of 51:
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May 4 18:30 UTC 1999 |
The United Methodist hymnal is the only church hymnal that has Duke
Ellington music in it. In case you need to know that bit of trivia.
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orinoco
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response 8 of 51:
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May 5 00:16 UTC 1999 |
(What song?)
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flem
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response 9 of 51:
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May 9 23:34 UTC 1999 |
The Canadian Brass performed selections from Ellington's work at their
performance on Saturday. The arranger was Luther Henderson, who
worked closely with Ellington. While not particularly authentic (I
understand that much of Ellington's originality was in his use of
tambre, which certainly can't be reproduced by a brass quintet), it was
entertaining and, of course, rendered quite skillfully. A new album
from the Canadian Brass in tribute to Ellington, titled "Take the A
Train", is scheduled to come out May 18th. I think.
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md
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response 10 of 51:
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May 9 23:38 UTC 1999 |
[Spelled "timbre," believe it or not.]
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flem
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response 11 of 51:
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May 10 01:41 UTC 1999 |
oops, you're right. I knew that, just didn't notice....
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albaugh
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response 12 of 51:
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May 10 18:57 UTC 1999 |
timbre being froggy in origin...
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tpryan
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response 13 of 51:
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May 10 22:14 UTC 1999 |
Wouldn't that be "Take the Eh Train" since it is by The Canadian Brass?
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flem
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response 14 of 51:
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May 11 05:16 UTC 1999 |
Actually, they made a joke about that during the concert. Their
suggested alternate name was "Take the train, eh?"
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albaugh
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response 15 of 51:
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May 11 17:11 UTC 1999 |
Or the vulgar rendition "Take the f*ckin' A train!"
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rcurl
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response 16 of 51:
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May 11 18:06 UTC 1999 |
I usually took the GG train, but that doesn't scan too well.
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md
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response 17 of 51:
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May 11 19:06 UTC 1999 |
Or the Fonzie version: Take the Aaaaayyyy Train.
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orinoco
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response 18 of 51:
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May 11 23:27 UTC 1999 |
Shakesperean: Take thee a train.
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mrmat
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response 19 of 51:
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May 12 01:53 UTC 1999 |
Canadian version: Take the Eh Train. eh?
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eeyore
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response 20 of 51:
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May 12 02:00 UTC 1999 |
Farm animals Take The Hay Train.
(anybody else reminded of Spider Robinson right now? :)
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omni
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response 21 of 51:
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May 12 05:35 UTC 1999 |
The Michael Jordan version? Take the NB-A Train.
The Shakespeare version should be Taketh the A-Train.
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scott
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response 22 of 51:
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May 12 11:15 UTC 1999 |
Nah. I like Orinoco's version better. But I'm too lame to come up with my
own yet.
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lowclass
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response 23 of 51:
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May 12 11:50 UTC 1999 |
r 20
ahyep. <G>
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eeyore
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response 24 of 51:
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May 12 14:38 UTC 1999 |
I was wondering if anybody besides myself and Flem would know of him...:)
And since I *just* finished reading "Lady Slings The Booze"....welll...:)
A vampire will never "Take The Day Train"
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