Storyville Records continues its release of WWII and post war broadcast recordings of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, and each two disc set so far has had its own reasons for ownership. Sure, there are plenty of tunes that the Ellington fan will already have, but there are always unknown obscurities from the Ducal pen that few have heard before, and arrangements of the familiar always keep things fresh.
Fans of rare tunes are in for a treat here, as tunes such as “Subtle Slough,” (which is actually an instrumental “Just Squeeze Me”) “Barzallai Lew,” “Circe,” and “Full Moon and Empty Arms” are just a few of the numerous ditties that make you scratch your head in amazement at the prodigious Ellington pen. Then, surprises such as Hodges floating during the “Diminuendo/Crescendo In Blue” along with Kay Davis’ moody vocals during the interim “Transblucency” is a treat. Then, Hodges is also featured on “Someone” that is a gift from above, while “Three Cent Stomp” is a rhythmic gem. Harry Carney shows what a bari sax is able to do on”Sono” and Laurence Brown glows as he’s featured on”Rugged Romeo.Vocalist Al HIbbler is in his element on “I’m Just A Lucky So and So” as well as an earthy “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” while clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton and bassist Oscar Pettiford are ravenous on a thrilling“Air Conditioned Jungle.” Lots of announcements concerning the Railroad Strike and plugs for saving bonds are interspersed between clever morsels such as “Laughin’ On The Outside” and “Crosstown.” The band veers with keeping with the styles of the time, so “Frankie and Johnny” both swings and bops as Ellington is featured here on the piano while “Hop, Skip and Jump” snaps and bounces with a bluesy joy. A beaut for Ellington fans and neophyte as well.
Storyville Records