This 116 minute dvd covers two of the most important pieces of music for not only jazz, but western civilization. During the autumn years of his career, Duke Ellington in 1965 delivered the first of a series of Sacred Concerts, music in his language dedicated to God. The 1965 band which included his long time sax section of Harry Carney/bs, Johnny Hodges/as, Paul Gonsalves/ts, Jimmy Hamilton/cl-ts and Russell Procope/as and all stars like Cat Anderson/tp perform at Grace Cathedral music truly inspired. The riveting “ In The Beginning, God”, haunting “The Lord’s Prayer”, Hodges’ recitative “Come Sunday” and the band’s celebrative “David Danced Before The Lord” show that the devil doesn’t have all the good music.
Love You Madly was a TV show profile of Duke Ellington by jazz journalist Ralph J. Gleason, and it brings in interviews and concert performances of the band during the same year. The interviews are insightful, and the renditions of “Far East Suite” and “Cottontail” are full of energy. The reeds are in rapture for “Mood Indigo” while Johnny Hodges is, well, Johnny Hodges on “Jeep’s Blues” and “Come Sunday”. Did Western Civilization ever get any better?