DUKE ELLINGTON THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO ALBUMS COLLECTION 1951-1958.

dereksmusicblog ♦ March 5, 2013 ♦ Leave a comment

DUKE ELLINGTON THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO ALBUMS COLLECTION 1951-1958.

For Duke Ellington, one of the most fertile and critically acclaimed period of his sixty-year career was at Columbia Records, between 1951 and 1958. During this period, Duke’s music was innovative, inventive, eclectic, and would influence a new generation of musicians. Recently, nine of the albums Duke Ellington released during this period were released as The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. This collection starts with 1951s Masterpieces By Ellington and closes with 1958s innovative The Cosmic Scene. Not only does The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 feature the original albums, which have been remastered, but each of the discs feature bonus tracks. For anyone new to the music of one of the greatest band leaders, composers and musicians, then The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 is the perfect introduction to the music of Duke Ellington. You’ll realize that when I tell you about the music on Duke Ellington The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958.

MASTERPIECES BY ELLINGTON.

The first album in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958, is Masterpieces By Ellington, released in 1951. Masterpieces By Ellington marked the end of an era for Duke Ellington’s band. Three members of his band were about to leave his employ. Losing musicians of the calibre of drummer Sonny Greer, saxophonist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown could’ve proved fatal for the Duke. This wasn’t the case. It gave him an opportunity to reinvent his band and sound. While Johnny and Lawrence would later return to the fold, Sonny’s replacement would prove crucial to Duke’s music. However, the three departing musicians played their part in an innovative and critically acclaimed album, Masterpieces By Ellington.

Masterpieces By Ellington featured four tracks, Mood Indigo, Sophisticated Lady, The Tattooed Bride and Solitude. Duke cowrote three tracks and wrote The Tattooed Bride. Recording took place on December 19th 1950, at Columbia’s 30th Street Studios, in New York. Joining the band, was vocalist Yvonne Lanauze, who features on Mood Indigo and Sophisticated Lady. These four tracks became Masterpieces By Ellington, while there are three bonus tracks included on the version within The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. 

On the release of Masterpieces By Ellington, it was hailed as a truly innovative album. Masterpieces By Ellington was a departure from the suite format. In it’s place, were four longer tracks. Mood Indigo which previously, had been restricted to under four minutes due to the 78 records capacity was transformed. It became a fifteen-minute Magnus Opus. Duke and his band were allowed the band to explore each of the four song’s subtleties and nuances, reinventing the tracks. Not only was this innovative, but inventive and became the Duke’s first critically acclaimed album of the fifties. For the followup to Masterpieces By Ellington, Ellington Uptown, this marked the debut of Duke’s new band. 

MASTERPIECES BY ELLINGTON.

ELLINGTON UPTOWN.

With drummer Sonny Greer, saxophonist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown having left Duke’s band, Ellington Uptown marked the debut of the three new members of his band. Key to the new band, and the future direction of Duke Ellington’s music, was drummer Louie Bellson. Not only did Louie make his debut on Ellington Uptown, but wrote the album opener Skin Deep. Together with six other tracks, including four Duke wrote and one he cowrote, they became Ellington Uptown.

The latest incarnation of Duke Ellington’s band recorded Ellington Uptown during sessions during December 1951 and then during February, July and July 1952. Joining the band were vocalist Betty Roche, who features on Billy Strayhorn’s Take The “A” Train. Seven tracks were recorded, including a mixture of old and new songs, including the two part Controversial Suite. Once Ellington Uptown was recorded, it was released later in 1952.

Ellington Uptown, which was released in 1952, featured seven tracks. Later reissues, including in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958, features six bonus tracks. They were The Liberian Suite, which was recorded in December 1947 and December 1951. Critics who had feared the loss of three band members would affect Duke’s music. Their fears were unfounded. They hailed the music on Ellington Uptown, as a captivating collection of Duke Ellington’s music old and new music. The addition of drummer Louie Bellson, Betty Roche’s vocal on Take The “A” Train and the song selection were crucial to Ellington Uptown’s success. With his new band, Duke had rejuvenated his career and continued the commercial success and critical acclaim of Masterpieces By Ellington. For the third album in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 Blue Rose, Duke was joined by a guest vocalist, Rosemary Clooney.

 ELLINGTON UPTOWN.

BLUE ROSE.

Four years after the release of Ellington Uptown, came Blue Rose. Joining Duke and his orchestra were Rosemary Clooney. By this time, saxophonist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown had rejoined Duke’s band. Like Johnny and Lawrence, Rosemary had worked with Duke before. Duke wrote Hey Baby, Me and You and and the title-track Blue Rose specifically for Rosemary. He felt her sultry vocal was perfect for the songs on Blue Rose. It was a fusion of jazz and pop music. The idea was that Blue Rose, which Irving Townsend produced, would appeal to a much wider audience. However, recording Blue Rose wasn’t going to be easy. Rosemary was pregnant, and couldn’t leave Los Angeles. This meant that recording would take place in Los Angeles and New York. Luckily, this was the start of the age of the overdub.

At the 30th Street Studios in New York, Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded the eleven tracks that became Blue Rose between 23-27 January 1956. When the tracks were finished, Billy Strayhorn one of Duke’s trusty lieutenants was sent to Los Angeles where Rosemary would record her vocals. Rosemary recorded her vocals between 8-11 February 1956. Two other tracks were recorded, If You Were in My Place (What Would You Do) and Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin.’ They’re included on The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. Once the vocals were recorded, they were overdubbed to the arrangements recorded in New York. Then Blue Rose was released in May 1956.

Just as Columbia had hoped, Blue Rose appealed to a wider audience. With its combination of vocal jazz and pop, the collaboration between Duke Ellington and Rosemary Clooney proved popular with fans. Critics were impressed by Duke’s latest reinvention of his music on Blue Rose. Among Blue Rose’s highlights were Hey Baby, Sophisticated Lady, It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Don’t Have That Swing) and Mood Indigo. With its combination of Duke’s old and new music, Blue Rose continued what was one of the most fertile and commercially successful period’s of Duke’s career. His reinvention continued on A Drum Is A Woman.

BLUE ROSE.

 

A DRUM IS A WOMAN.

1956 proved a crucial year for Duke Ellington, as he wowed audiences at the Newport Jazz Festival. It proved critical in rejuvenating Duke’s career. Granted, he’d been releasing some of the best music of his career during the fifties, but his performance at Newport really raised his profile. The same year he released the critically acclaimed Porgy and Bess. Another album he released during 1956 was A Drum Is A Woman, which proved one of his most innovative and inventive albums.

Originally, A Drum Is A Woman was a television special. After its success, Columbia decided that it should be released as an album. So, A Drum Is A Woman was recorded in September 1956, at 30th Street Studios in New York. Much of the music was written by Billy Strayhorn. Margaret Tynes, Ozzie Bailey and Joya Sherill add vocals and narrative to the music on Duke Ellington. The twelve tracks on A Drum Is A Woman told a compelling story.

A Drum Is A Woman tells the story of two characters, Madame Zajj and Carribbee Joe. Madame Zajj personifies African rhythm, while Carribbee Joe’s roots are in Africa, where he’s a drum master. Madame Zajj heads on a journey where she seeks fame, fortune and sophistication. During journey, she fuses her culture and Carribbee Joe’s, while retelling the story and history of jazz and bebop. The result was a captivating musical journey, where cultures and musical genres melt into one. However, critics were, and still are, divided over A Drum Is A Woman. For some critics, it’s an inventive, innovative and captivating album. Other critics argue that A Drum Is A Woman doesn’t work as well on record as it did on the small screen. Personally, A Drum Is A Woman marked the beginning of another period of reinvention and innovation for one of the legends of jazz, Duke Ellington.

A DRUM IS A WOMAN.

SWEET SWEET THUNDER.

Looking back at the amount of music Duke Ellington recorded and released during 1956, puts modern artists to shame. The remarkable thing was, that the standard of music was so high. On 7th August 1956, Duke and his band headed to Columbia Studios in New York where work began on his next album Sweet Sweet Thunder, with Irving Townsend producing the album.  It featured twelve tracks written by Duke and Billy Strayhorn. These tracks were based on the work of William Shakespear. This is another example of Duke Ellington continuing to innovate, and take jazz in a new direction. 

Further recording sessions took place on 6th December, then in April 15th and 24th, with Sweet Sweet Thunder completed on May 7th 1957. Eventually, twelve tracks were chosen that became Sweet Sweet Thunder, where Duke pays homage to a literary great.

Like other tracks that feature in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958, there are a selection of bonus tracks on Sweet Sweet Thunder. Ten bonus tracks, including alternate takes and outtakes. For Duke Ellington completists, this will be a welcome addition. For newcomers to Duke Ellington’s music, Sweet Sweet Thunder is one of his best albums of the fifties. Indeed, Sweet Sweet Thunder is not only perceived as one of Duke’s finest albums, but one of the most important jazz albums of the fifties. Sweet Sweet Thunder is another example of Duke Ellington during one of his most creative and innovative periods, and for newcomers to the Duke’s music, is essential listening.

 SWEET SWEET THUNDER.

ELLINGTON INDIGOS.

One of my favorite albums in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958, is 1958s Ellington Indigos. Not only is Ellington Indigos full of classic tracks, including Solitude, Where and When, Mood Indigo and Prelude To A Kiss, but demonstrate Duke’s talent as a composer. He wrote Solitude, The Sky Fell Down and Prelude To A Kiss, and cowrote Mood Indigo with Barney Bigard. With his tight, talented band, who get the opportunity to showcase their individual skills, Ellington Indigos is one of Duke’s classic albums, filled with timeless classics.

Remarkably, recording of Ellington Indigos took just one day. Nine tracks were recorded at Columbia’s 30th Street Studios. Duke’s band were given opportunities to showcase their talents. Duke’s solo on Solitude is a show-stealer, although Shorty Baker’s trumpet solo on Mood Indigo and Johnny Hodges’ alto saxophone solo on Prelude To A Kiss comes close. So too, does Walter Gross’ trumpet solo on Tenderly. Ellington Indigos features Duke Ellington’s band collectively and individually, pulling out the stops to create a timeless classic album. An added bonus, are seven bonus tracks, including a cover of Cole Porter’s Night and Day and the four song Perfume Suite. Quite simply, these addition mean that Ellington Indigos is even more essential listening than before.

ELLINGTON INDIGOS.

 

BLACK, BROWN AND BIEGE.

There aren’t many artists who are given the opportunity to rerecord music they were disappointed with. If they were, hundreds of albums recorded during the eighties, with synths and drum machines would’ve been rerecorded properly, during the nineties. For Duke Ellington, he had the opportunity to revisit Black, Brown and Beige over four days in February 1958. Originally, Duke had written Black, Brown and Beige for a 1943 concert at the Carnegie Hall. The original version featured a three-part suite. For the 1958 album, Black, Brown and Beige was transformed into six shorter pieces. 

The recording sessions for Black, Brown and Beige took place at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles. Black, Brown and Beige was produced by Irving Townsend. It also featured the vocals of the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. The six shorter pieces were recorded in just four days. Recording didn’t always go smoothly though. Johnny Hodges who was absent from the Duke’s band during much of 1958, had played a crucial part in the original concert. So, Mahalia Jackson’s vocal replaces Johnny’s alto saxophone solo. Her contribution, plus that of Duke’s band rectified the perceived problems of the original version of Black, Brown and Beige.

Indeed, not only did the newly revised version of Black, Brown and Beige rectify previous mistakes, but resulted in one of the most powerful, moving and socially important albums of the time. Black, Brown and Beige played a huge part in raising the profile of the civil right’s movement. Poignant, powerful, influential and innovative, Black, Brown and Beige is all these things and more. Even better, are the ten bonus tracks that features on the version of Black, Brown and Beige that feature in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. Alternate takes, bonus tracks and an acapella make this version of Black, Brown and Beige the definitive version of one of the most powerful and influential albums of the fifties.

BLACK, BROWN AND BIEGE.

AT THE BAL MASQUE.

1958s At The Bal Masque is one of the most intriguing albums in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. Twelve tracks were recorded over five days in March 1958, with At The Bal Masque completed on 1st April 1958. Then applause was overdubbed to give the appearance that At The Bal Masque was a live album. 

The faux-live At The Bal Masque features Duke and his band revisiting tracks like Got A Date With An Angel, The Peanut Vendor, Satin Doll Lady In Red and Laugh, Laugh, Laugh. On the release of At The Bal Masque, critics marveled at how Duke had managed to make the tracks work. What could’ve sounded dated and pedestrian, was transformed into an album full of energy that literally, swings. While not strictly a live album, At The Bal Masque is Duke Elligton’s best faux-live album. 

AT THE BAL MASQUE.

DUKE ELLINGTON’S SPACEMEN THE COSMIC SCENE. 

The last album on The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 is Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene. Whilst some people thought that Duke Ellington’s inspiration was the free jazz of Sun Ra and George Russell, it was actually inspired by satellites orbiting the earth. Whereas previous albums had featured a large band, Duke’s band was reduced to a much smaller, tighter unit. The ten tracks might be jazz standards, but they’re transformed, totally reinvented and re-imagined. Featuring lengthy, elastic solos standards like Perido, St. Louis Blues and Take The “A” Train were reworked for the 21st century.

Recording of Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene took just two days in April 1958. Recording took place at 30th Street Studio, with Irving Townsend producing Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene. Each of Duke’s slimmed-down band gave outstanding performances. From trombonists Britt Goodman, John Sanders and Quentin “Butler” Jackson, through Clark Terry on flugelhorn and tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, they all played their part in ensuring that Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene was one of Duke’s most innovative, inventive and influential albums of the fifties.

Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene was released in April 1958. Immediately, critics realized that this was a groundbreaking album. Not only was Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene progressive, innovative and inventive, but it saw Duke Ellington continue to reinvent his music, establishing himself as one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz. By then, Duke was fifty-nine years old, and had spent forty-four years, constantly seeking to reinvent himself and his music. That Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene was the most groundbreaking and influential album in Duke Ellington The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 seems a fitting way to close the box set.

Not many artists enjoy the longevity that Duke Ellington enjoyed. His career stretched sixty years and saw him win twelve Grammy Awards. Not only was he a legend of jazz music, but one of the great American songwriters. While the box set covers the period between 1951 and 1958, the post-war years hadn’t been kind to Duke Ellington. So the fifties were a period of reinvention for Duke Ellington and his music. He was a prolific artist, who released several albums each year. Some of his most innovative, inventive and influential albums of the fifties feature in The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958.

Several times, Duke reinvented himself and his music, while forever remaining something of a perfectionist. Revisiting Black, Brown and Beige proves this and proves Duke’s music had a social conscience. Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene demonstrates that Duke was forward thinking, never content to stand still. Instead, he was determined to try new methods and new. The music on Duke Ellington’s Spacemen The Cosmic Scene would influence a new generation of musicians, and is perceived as one of Duke Ellington’s most groundbreaking albums. However, there’s much more than that in  The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958. Masterpieces By Ellington marks the end of one of his great bands, while Ellington Uptown, with drummer Louie Bellson marked the dawn of a new era. A Drum Is A Woman was another innovative album from Duke Ellington, while Ellington Indigos sees Duke revisit some timeless classics. Although At The Bal Masque isn’t a live album, it features Duke and his band rejuvenate some classic tracks, making them swing. So, for newcomers to the music of Duke Ellington, The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection 1951-1958 is the perfect place to start, when starting the voyage of discovery that is the music of Duke Ellington.

DUKE ELLINGTON THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO ALBUMS COLLECTION 1951-1958.