Play the Blues Back to Back

Play the Blues Back to Back

ASIN: B0000047CU

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Here we have an oddity in the Duke Ellington collection, a small-band record that includes not a single Ellington composition and only one Ellington musician, co-leader and alto sax king Johnny Hodges. The repertoire consists of seven classic blues, including three from the pen of W.C. Handy, and the results of this informal 1959 session are nothing short of remarkable. The other major solo voice is Harry "Sweets" Edison, a Count Basie-band veteran who seems particularly inspired on this day. His embrace of the melody on "Basin Street Blues" shows great tenderness laced with simply perfect blues-based accents. Hodges offers a virtual lesson throughout in how to build solos from the ground up, nuzzling the nostalgic melodies at first before adding colorful embellishments. Meanwhile, Ellington's spare improvisations and clever comping offer bold chord choices and typically idiosyncratic timing without overwhelming the basic structure and feeling of the blues. No question, a record of old standards and easygoing statements can be just as powerful as any. --Marc Greilsamer

Play the Blues Back to Back,Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges,Polygram Records,Big Band,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Swing

Average customer rating:

Strange World

Back to Back a great CD

Bellow their potential...

My Favorite Duke

A very well behaved CD

Play the Blues Back to Back
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Side by Side

Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra

Everybody Knows

Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (20-Bit Master)

Blues in Orbit

ASIN: B0000047CU
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Wabash Blues
Basin Street Blues
Beale Street Blues
Weary Blues
The St. Louis Blues
Loveless Love
Royal Garden Blues

Amazon.com essential recording

Here we have an oddity in the Duke Ellington collection, a small-band record that includes not a single Ellington composition and only one Ellington musician, co-leader and alto sax king Johnny Hodges. The repertoire consists of seven classic blues, including three from the pen of W.C. Handy, and the results of this informal 1959 session are nothing short of remarkable. The other major solo voice is Harry "Sweets" Edison, a Count Basie-band veteran who seems particularly inspired on this day. His embrace of the melody on "Basin Street Blues" shows great tenderness laced with simply perfect blues-based accents. Hodges offers a virtual lesson throughout in how to build solos from the ground up, nuzzling the nostalgic melodies at first before adding colorful embellishments. Meanwhile, Ellington's spare improvisations and clever comping offer bold chord choices and typically idiosyncratic timing without overwhelming the basic structure and feeling of the blues. No question, a record of old standards and easygoing statements can be just as powerful as any. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Strange World .......2007-02-19

The relationship between the infamous Duke Ellington and any of his muscians is fascinating, but in particular, his relationship with Johnny Hodges is even more spectacular. Johnny Hodges joined Ellington in the 1920's and more or less stayed with him until his death in 1970. Johnny is reported to have said that Duke stole his blues riffs from time to time and made hit songs out of them. This frustration leads one to wonder why Johnny stayed with Duke for so long. Job Secruity, Money, Artistic Mermit, To be a part of music history, Laziness? who knows, but the music world is much much richer because of Johnny's partnership with Duke Ellingtion and even more so with his cohort Billy Strayhorn, who wrote some of the most devastating balllads of the century for Johnny. So to hear two genius's interperating some of the music that initially inspired them for greatness is a rare treat. Johnny was highly influenced by Sidney Bechet, who played many of these turnes to perfection. Harry Sweets Edison and Jo Jones from the old Basie Band are here as well. Sam Jones holds the bass down, and Les Span plays guitar. Despite the great playing, the sound quality, as good as it is, has one problem. Duke's piano is two quiet and panned all the way to the right. He should be front and center and alot louder. Either way the sound is good and the performances are great. Interesting small group blues/swing from some of the top players of the century.

Back to Back a great CD.......2007-01-11

This is a wonderful CD especially if you are entertaining. Back to Back Blues won't leave you with the blues...

Bellow their potential..........2006-12-05

First time I listened to this CD I liked it very much but, as opposed to most other Ellington CD's I have (big band or combos), repeated listenings added nothing to the musical experience... My listening pleasure actually diminished with each listening!

Don't get me wrong - one of the reason are probably my high expectations: Ellington and Hodges are joined by the good old Harry Edison on trumpet and Jo Jones on drums, so this should be BRILLIANT... And yet Sweets' sparse and repetitive notes seem insufficiently inspired, Hodges' sweet sound at moments seems supraficial while Ellington simply doesn't sound rhythmically powerfull as he should (and mostly did)...And the guitar spots are the weakest points of "Back to Back".

Is it my imagination or even Jo Jones at moments got mechanical instead of swinging?

If it was a recording by lesser artists, four stars should do them justice; these giants can do so much, much better than this that three stars probably give a more realistic evaluation...

Then again, I have perhaps been listening too much Ellington, so that even minor glitches in his quality seem huge to me...
But no; just compare this CD with the one where Ellington's medium size band meets Hawkins ("Ellington meets Hawkins") or the duo CD with Ray Brown ("This one's for Blanton"), or the explosive and innovative trio with Mingus and Roach ("Money Jungle")...

My Favorite Duke.......2005-11-12

and one of my favorite small group jazz CD's. I was pleasantly surprised when I got this, expecting it to be good, but not this good! The companion to this, Side by Side, is of the same caliber but I'd have to give this one the nod. It's from my favorite jazz period (1955-1963) and it's performed by two of my favorite musicians, and the recording is amazing. The sound quality of these discs is the best I've ever heard from this time period, and in my opinion, some of the remastered jazz titles from this era are the finest sounding and best engineered recordings to be found from any era - period. Can you tell I like it?

A very well behaved CD.......2003-01-31

This is a delightful outing featuring Ellington and Hodges in a small group playing some blues standards. Not terribly exciting, important or innovative, but has nice recording quality, nice relaxed playing, very enjoyable to listen to. Not a bad track on the whole CD. I recommend it.

My star rating scale.

Customer Reviews:

A piece of history.......2006-06-03

Many of the songs on this recording are not available in sheet music, and although the sound quality isn't "leading edge" it makes me feel as though I am listening to actual performers back in the 30's & 40's, with young and gifted singers like Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, and Mel Torme, as well as others who are nameless or unknown to me on this album, and a delight to listen to. Manhattan Tower is why I bought this CD, and I got so much more from it than I bargained for. The illusion I have when I play it is that I am a young jazz artist in New York, feeling the pulse of the city and filling up with everything about being a part of New York.

A BIG disappointment!.......2004-08-19

I bought this CD for the Slaughter on Tenth Avenue soundtrack ballet by Richard Rodgers and Lennie Hayton. But none of the tracks on this CD can be appreciated. It is a mono recording, and that immediately leaves you with a very incomplete sound. No amount of treble and bass adjustment can eliminate the awful tinny sound throughout the disc.

A Room With a View: Complete Recordings, Vol.1

Average customer rating:

The style is the man--and the song

A Room With a View: Complete Recordings, Vol.1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Mad Dogs & Englishmen: Complete Recordings, Vol. 2
Mad About the Boy: Complete Recordings, Vol. 3
Noel Coward & Gertrude Lawrence
The Queen

ASIN: B000054BF6
Release Date: 2001-04-17

Tracks:

This Year Of Grace: Dance, Little Lady
This Year Of Grace: A Room With A View
This Year Of Grace: Mary Make-Believe
This Year Of Grace: Try To Learn To Love
This Year Of Grace: Lorelei
A Dream Of Youth (The Dream Is Over)
Bitter Sweet: Zigeuner
This Year Of Grace: World Weary
Private Lives, Act 1, Love Scene: Someday I'll Find You
Private Lives, Act 2, Scene: I Never Realised/If You Were The Only Girl In The World
Half-Caste Woman
Any Little Fish
Cavalcade: Lover Of My Dreams (Mirabelle Valse)
Cavalcade Vocal Medley: Soldiers Of The Queen/Goodbye Dolly Gray/Lover Of My Dreams/I Do Like To...
Cavalcade, Epilogue: Toast To England
Noel Coward Medley: Parisian Pierrot/Poor Little Rich Girl/A Room With A View/Dance Little Lady...

Customer Reviews:

The style is the man--and the song.......2001-05-02

Many composers have chosen to perform their own material and commit it to discs, with mixed results. Only with Noel Coward do we feel that a good deal of the charm of his numbers lies in the very way he performs them. For proof, we now have the Naxos Nostalgia (8.120529), which dishes up 16 tracks of the ultra-refined son of W. S.Gilbert, giving us six selections from "This Year of Grace," one from "Bittersweet," a medley of treasures from his "Cavalcade," another from his other works, and a few other trifles that are better than most of what is written today.

Add to all this two classical scenes with Coward and co-star Gertrude Lawrence from his "Private Lives," incredibly valuable for those local drama groups who butcher this work in that this CD can teach them the tone and rhythms that are essential in making this classic succeed.

Tracks:

The Street Where You Live - Peter Land/Michael Sadler/Peter Fleetwood/Placido Domingo
Hrather On The Hill - Sally Ann Howes
Almost Like Being In Love - Marti Webb
How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life? - The Flavin And Bonnie Langford
Come Back To Me - Burton Lane
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever - Elaine Paige
How To Handle A Woman - Martin Smith
Follow Me - Claire moore
If Ever I Wouls Leave You - Robert Meadmore
Camelot - Christopher Cazenove & Full Company
Garbage Isn't What It Used To Be - Gerard Kenny
Gigi - Daniel Massey
I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore - Jean-Pierre Aumont
Why Him? - Liz Robertson
One MOre Walk Around The Garden - Martin Smith/David Kernan/Robert Meadmore
Take Care Of This House - Pareicia Routledge
Wanderin' Star - Tim Rice And Cantabile
Another Life - Liz Robertson
Ascot Gavotte - The My Fair Lady Company
I Could Have Danced All Night - Anne Rogers
The Rain In Spain - Placido Domingo/Liz Robertson & Richard Caldicot
I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face - Douglas Fairbanks
Dance A Little Closer - Full Company

Customer Reviews:

Simply Marvelous!.......2001-05-21

One of the best CDs I've bought in years! Granted, I'm a bit Lerner-biased having played Col. Pickering in My Fair Lady before...and I just love his stuff anyways -- but nonetheless this CD is a GREAT buy! I found it in a store somewhere about 2-3 months ago, and I don't think it's left my CD player since. Domingo's occasional appearances add SUCH classy humor that I just roll over laughing everytime he sings! Granted, one must be at least fairly familiar with the story and flow of My Fair Lady to get all the jokes, but even without that, it's still a series of stellar performances. Buy this CD!

Average customer rating:

Play the Blues Back to Back
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000AXZCRS
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Wabash Blues
Basin Street Blues
Beale Street Blues
Weary Blues
St. Louis Blues
Loveless Love
Royal Garden Blues

WOODY HERMAN / MIDNITE JAZZ & BLUES COLLECTION / 18 SONG CD / PLAY TIME 58 MIN. 31 SECONDS / 2002 / APPLE HONEY, I WONDER, AS LONG AS I LIVE, I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING, WELCOME TO MY DREAM, I AIN'T GOT NOTHING BUT THE BLUES, CALDONIA, BLOWIN' UP A STORM, LAURA, SOMEDAY SWEETHEART, FOUR MEN ON A HORSE, I SURRENDER DEAR, NERO' CONCEPTION, THE WOODCHOPPER'S BALL, EVERYWHERE, PANACEA, BACK TALK, WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN MY DREAMS

Average customer rating:

WOODY HERMAN / MIDNITE JAZZ & BLUES COLLECTION / 18 SONG CD / PLAY TIME 58 MIN. 31 SECONDS / 2002 / APPLE HONEY, I WONDER, AS LONG AS I LIVE, I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING, WELCOME TO MY DREAM, I AIN'T GOT NOTHING BUT THE BLUES, CALDONIA, BLOWIN' UP A STORM, LAURA, SOMEDAY SWEETHEART, FOUR MEN ON A HORSE, I SURRENDER DEAR, NERO' CONCEPTION, THE WOODCHOPPER'S BALL, EVERYWHERE, PANACEA, BACK TALK, WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN MY DREAMS
WOODY HERMAN
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000O6KNKW

Product Description

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music