Most Ellington fans know that one of the reasons for his success was his “discovering” composer/pianist Billy Strayhorn and making him almost an extended part of the famed bandleader. Few people are able to listen to a piece by the Duke Ellington Orchestra and decipher whether it was composed by Ellington or Strayhorn. They had a way of thinking about and creating music that resemble fraternal twins in terms of identity. This fascinating 7 cd/dvd set explores the music and mind of Billy Strayhorn in two ways; one in which he is an active participant, and the other in which other bands and orchestras interpret his material. The result is an embracing overview of the sophisticatedly swinging sounds of the overlooked muse.
Jazz buffs and historians will go crazy over the first disc, which features Strayhorn in 1961 on the piano with simply a bassist, string quartet or both on fragrant readings of tunes like “Take the A Train,” “Passion Flower” and “Just A Sittin’ and A-Rockin’.” Even better is when moody vocals are included on “Lush Life” and “Day Dream.” Ellington and Strays deliver some duets and trios (with Joe Schulman) on some 45-50 sessions which include a riveting “Johnny Come Lately” and a pair of fascinating takes of “Tonk.” This disc alone is worth the price of admission
Disc two has the Ellington Orchestra delivering Strayhorn compositions in sessions and concerts ranging from 1939-1967. Most of it is from the WWII-Post War period, with a rich sax section that includes Ben Webster, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton and Johnny Hodges in various incarnations. There’s a rich reading of “ My Little Brown Book” as well as a couple rich obscurities such as “Metronome All Out” and “I Don’t Mine.” A take of “Newport Up” from 1958 features some vintage Clark Terry, while Johnny Hodges delivers a “Blood Count” for the ages.
The third disc has various and sundry small bands playing from the Strayhorn songbook. Pianists Art Tatum makes mincemeat out of “Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’” and Duke Jordan delivers eloquence on “Lush Life” while Horace Parlan goes deep on “Blood Count.” Johnny Griffin’s band bops through “Isfahan” and a group of swingers lead by Roy Eldridge and Budd Johnson have a ball with “Satin Doll.” Most intriguing is a bopping team lead by James Spaulding/as and Cedar Walton/p modernizing “Blood Count,” while Johnny Griffen/ts and Kenny Drew/p pull out all of the plugs on a wondrous “Isfahan.”Heavy hitting!
The Dutch Jazz Orchestra has two sessions on disc four from 1997, 1999 and 2002 in which they interpret Strays’ songbook. Some obscure beauties such as “Blue House” and “Hipper-Bug” are an absolute delight, and where did they ever find material such as “Lozit” and “Feet on the Beat?” These are Strayhorn compositions that were in some form hijacked by Ellington, but here they are presented unadulterated. Wonderful and fascinating, like finding a sunken treasure. A mix of Scandinavians delving into the Strayhorn songbook from 1995-2007 are presented on the 5th disc, with ex-Ellingtonian Rolf Ericson leading a band through pieces as familiar as “Lotus Blossom” and as obscure as “Portrait of a Silk Thread.” Meanwhile, bassist Jesper Lundgaard leads a hip little quartet through an enticing “Passion Flower” as well as a sophisticated “Upper Manhattan Medical Group.”
Neo swinging American clarinetist and tenor saxist Ken Peplowski leads a duo with Phil Lee/g, a trio that adds John Horler/p and a quartet that brings in Alec Dankworth for 2006-07 sessions which interpret “Rain Check,” “After All” and the overlooked “ Noir Bleu.” The intimate interplay here is astonishing, and Peps’ fluid licorice stick is a joy, while his breathy tenor evokes sonic images of Webster and Sears. More neo swinging is lead by Harry Allen/ts on a session from 1993 that has him leading a quintet with Chris Flory/g through a cooking “Smada” and cute “Kissing Bug.” Both Allen and Peplowski were made for this kind of music with the breathy tenor sounds that are reminiscent of vintage Ellington small groups.
A dvd with Ellington’s band and various other groups which include Duke Jordan, The Delta Rhythm Boys and Clark Terry show the visual display of tunes ranging from “Mid-Riff” to the obligatory “Take the A Train.”
This boxed set is a fascinating adventure into the musical mind of one of the “geniuses behind the genius” who finally is able to step out in front of the curtain. Check it out!
Storyville Records