Duke Ellington -...and his mother called him Bill (Austrian Jazz CD)

Artist/s: Duke Ellington

CD Title: ...And His Mother Called Him Bill

CD Status: Pre-owned

CD Condition: NM/NM (see grading Guide)

CD Information:

This record was made shortly after Billy Strayhorn's death and fittingly catches the band in not only peak form but producing a musical legacy equal to the Duke's seminal recordings of 1940-2 with the Blanton - Webster band. As much as I love Duke Ellington's music, I still think that this is an absolute milestone performance. The repertoire includes a mixture of familiar and previously unrecorded compositions, ballads and swing numbers and the more modern sound quality allows the listener to get a better grasp at what is going on musically. Part of the thrill of listening to the writing of Ellington and Strayhorn is that the component parts of the scores are full of surprises, each listen yielding little quirks such as Harry Carney's baritone playing odd intervals instead of the root of chords.

Track Listings