"We love you madly"

[Ian Thumwood]

Elmo

I fairness to the BBC big band, they were fronted by the present5er of Australian TV's equivalent of "Top gear."

It is strange how great the Ellingt5on band seems wit the passge of years. I've always felt the same about the Basie recordings of 30's / early forties. Music for all times.

[clive heath]

Terry Teachout who produced a well-received bio of Louis Armstrong has just launched his book of the Ellington story and the review I saw mentioned Billy Strayhorn who perhaps ought to have been name-checked before now on this thread especially relating to the Webster-Blanton band, he did write "Take the A Train" after all. Have you come across the book by Ken Rattenbury, who takes an in-depth look at several sides especially "Concerto for Cootie" with small groups of bars analysed for chordal structure. It's quite a detailed analysis, you would have to be happy with "minor 9th, flattened 5th" etc and I don't think the other tracks he chooses deserve that much attention. The precursors to the great writing of the 1941 band are found in for example "It was a Sad Night in Harlem" with some wonderful scrunchy chords.

[muzzer]

Am very happy to report I spent this afternoon playing two Ellington tunes with my teenage cousin once removed who plays alto sax, clarinet and piano but was hitherto a bit wary of jazz because of the trickiness of improv - as opposed to me who just finds it hard to follow the changes..... - and she pronounced it a great success, so look out world!

[Serial_Apologist]

Am very happy to report I spent this afternoon playing two Ellington tunes with my teenage cousin once removed who plays alto sax, clarinet and piano but was hitherto a bit wary of jazz because of the trickiness of improv - as opposed to me who just finds it hard to follow the changes..... - and she pronounced it a great success, so look out world!

When Evan Parker first started playing jazz, he didn't realise there were such things as chord changes - if that brings any comfort. (It certainly could explain certain things!) And Norma Winstone thought jazz was all written out.

[charles t]

First, let me paste and drop this Wiki entry for Creole Love Call:

"Creole Love Call" is a jazz standard, most associated with the Duke Ellington band[1] and Adelaide Hall.[2][3]

Ellington first recorded it in 1927 and was issued a copyright for it as composer the following year. However the main melody appears earlier in the Joe "King" Oliver composition "Camp Meeting Blues" which Oliver recorded with his Creole Jazz Band in 1923. Apparently Ellington reedman Rudy Jackson had presented the melody to Ellington claiming it was his own composition.

After Ellington's recording came out, Joe Oliver attempted to sue for payment of royalties and composer credit. The lawsuit failed due to problems with Oliver's original paperwork resulting in Oliver not holding a valid copyright. Ellington fired Jackson over the incident, bringing in Barney Bigard as his replacement.

While living in Chicago, I worked with (clarinetist) Rudy Jackson who told me that he DID (per Wiki) present Duke with 'Creole'.

However, Rudy said most sidemen those days didn't know anything about composer rights and Duke took advantage of that (in this instance).

(Note to devotees: Don't Shoot The Messenger).

[clive heath]

According to this chapter summary from an entry on "Duke Ellington's America"

"4. Credits/Exit Mills
Using much new research, this chapter explores the controversial financial role Irving Mills played in Ellington’s career. Mills probably took at least 50% of the proceeds of Ellington’s career during their 1926-1939 partnership, which in today’s music business would be viewed as unethical and probably as grounds for a lawsuit. He added his name to Ellington’s song credits, even though he almost certainly added little or nothing to the compositions, yet Ellington did not seem to mind, seeing such activity as the price to be paid for enjoying a successful career and having his compositions heard around the world. The issue of whether Ellington did not apportion appropriate songwriting credit to his band members during this period is also considered."

Looks as though a bit of "looking after number one" was pretty general!!

Notwithstanding this aspect of Irving Mills' business acumen, he seems to have been a positive force for Jazz being one of the first to record black and white musicians together. He also started the idea of "a band within a band".

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Geoffrey is well worth catching in his coverage of the thirties when the Duke became the Duke

including that track; Solitude [rec 10 January 1934 and coming up for an 80th birthday huh!]

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

I knew you were here because the studio was suddenly aglow with a turquoise radiance.

[muzzer]

Thanks for the link - great stuff!