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There’s really no way a person could vote crap, although I could understand having waffles, owing to the Duke’s unfortunate tendency to occasionally pass off other people’s compositions as his own.

I read a biography on him that helped me. He was long under the "I respect but don't particularly enjoy" category for me. The trick that helped me enjoy his stuff more was listening for how he stacks parts for different instruments with attention to their texture and combined timbre. No where did he do this better than what is referred to as The Blanton Webster Band. That era has plenty of collections so you can soak it up.

There are also some fantastic moments in his later Far East Suite. The train ride through Asia seemed to do wonderful things to his compositional imagination.

Wood Goblin wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:53 pm Duke’s unfortunate tendency to occasionally pass off other people’s compositions as his own.

Without Duke, we'd have no Jimmy Page.

Not crap.

NC

This NIU alum first knew of him because of the ballroom on campus named after him. Jazzers on my dorm room floor introduced me to his music. Still don't really know a ton about him but know enough to say he's NC.

His arrangements of other people's music (especially The Nutcracker Suite) are groovy:



It's some of the best Christmas music available.

I never enjoyed playing it in jazz band. Compared side by side to the pop music of the era there's certainly innovation, but I don't think it's something I'll ever fully love.

penningtron wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 6:50 am I never enjoyed playing it in jazz band. Compared side by side to the pop music of the era there's certainly innovation, but I don't think it's something I'll ever fully love.

Check this one out when you get a chance. I first heard about it in Miles Davis’ autobiography

The bits I like just make me want to listen to The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady more.

It's kinda like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: a launching pad for so many things, but not something I really want to go back to much.

losthighway wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2024 5:11 pm I read a biography on him that helped me. He was long under the "I respect but don't particularly enjoy" category for me. The trick that helped me enjoy his stuff more was listening for how he stacks parts for different instruments with attention to their texture and combined timbre. No where did he do this better than what is referred to as The Blanton Webster Band. That era has plenty of collections so you can soak it up.

Was it the Terry Teachout bio, by chance? Because I just finished it myself.

The Teachout book ends with a list of fifty key Ellington releases (by date and label). I started going through them in order, even though I already knew and loved several of them. And while advancements in recording technology certainly play a role in the vibrancy of those 1940-ish sides, there’s also a great leap forward in compositional richness, arrangement, and performance that happens in that Blanton-Webster era.