The OKeh Ellington

The OKeh Ellington

The OKeh Ellington

ASIN: B00000274L

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Digesting the music of Duke Ellington's revolutionary "jungle" period is a complicated pursuit because he recorded multiple arrangements for a number of labels between 1927 and 1932. Sony owns his OKeh and Columbia cuts (found on these two CDs), BMG owns his Victor sides, and Decca owns his Brunswick and Vocalion work (issued on the three-CD Early Ellington). All of them contain readings of standout compositions like "Black and Tan Fantasy," "East St. Louis Toodle-oo," "Black Beauty," "The Mooche," "Mood Indigo," and "Rockin' in Rhythm." The OKeh package lacks versions of "Solitude" and "Creole Love Call," but offers some noteworthy exclusives: superb solo stride-piano versions of "Black Beauty" and "Swampy River"; Jabbo Smith's wonderful trumpet solo on a 1927 version of "Black and Tan Fantasy" as a game-day replacement for "indisposed" co-composer Bubber Miley; and the first recording of "The Mooche," with Miley in control and guitarist Lonnie Johnson augmenting an already formidable lineup that includes Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges. Even when a star like trumpet-growl pioneer Miley moved on, Cootie Williams would more than fill the gap. Musically, Ellington brought jazz to new levels of sophistication, complexity, and emotional depth during this first great period, synthesizing the classic New Orleans sound with a vibrant theatrical element and a dynamic rhythmic impulse. --Marc Greilsamer

The OKeh Ellington,Duke Ellington,Sony,Big Band,Classic Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Orchestral Jazz,Pop,Swing
The OKeh Ellington
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Music, Poor Remastering
  • Atrocious Noise Reduction Job
  • Great music, but I hate this sound.
  • Great stuff!
  • THE GREAT BLACK ENTERTAINER!
 The OKeh Ellington
Duke Ellington
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing GeneralSwing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Classic Big BandClassic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Orchestral JazzOrchestral Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Early Ellington: Complete Brunswick Recordings
  2. The Essential Bessie Smith
  3. The Complete Decca Recordings
  4. The Kansas City Sessions
  5. Duke's Men: The Small Groups, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00000274L
Release Date: 1991-03-26

Tracks:

  1. East St. Louis Toodle-oo
  2. Hop Head
  3. Down In Our Alley Blues
  4. What Can A Poor Fellow Do? - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  5. Black & Tan Fantasy - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  6. Chicago Stomp Down - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  7. Sweet Mama (Papa's Getting Mad)
  8. Stack O'Lee Blues
  9. Bugle Call Rag
  10. Take It Easy - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  11. Jubilee Stomp
  12. Harlem Twist (East St. Louis Toodle-oo)
  13. Diga Diga Doo
  14. Doin' The New Low Down
  15. Black Beauty
  16. Swampy River
  17. The Mooche - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  18. Move Over - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  19. Hot & Bothered - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  20. Blues With A Feelin' - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  21. Goin' To Town - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  22. Misty Mornin' - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
  23. I Must Have That Man
  24. Freeze And Melt
  25. Mississippi Moan

Tracks:

  1. That Rhythm Man
  2. Beggar's Blues
  3. Saturday Night Function
  4. Jungle Jamboree
  5. Snake Hip Dance
  6. Lazy Duke
  7. Blues Of The Vagabond
  8. Syncopated Shuffle
  9. The Mooche (Alt. Vers.)
  10. Ragamuffin Romeo
  11. East St. Louis Toodle-oo
  12. Sweet Mama
  13. Hot And Bothered
  14. Double Check Stomp
  15. Black And Tan Fantasy
  16. Big House Blues
  17. Rocky Mountain Blues
  18. Ring Dem Bells
  19. Three Little Words
  20. Old Man Blues
  21. Sweet Chariot
  22. Mood Indigo
  23. I Can't Realize You Love Me
  24. I'm So In Love With You
  25. Rockin' In Rhythm

Amazon.com essential recording

Digesting the music of Duke Ellington's revolutionary "jungle" period is a complicated pursuit because he recorded multiple arrangements for a number of labels between 1927 and 1932. Sony owns his OKeh and Columbia cuts (found on these two CDs), BMG owns his Victor sides, and Decca owns his Brunswick and Vocalion work (issued on the three-CD Early Ellington). All of them contain readings of standout compositions like "Black and Tan Fantasy," "East St. Louis Toodle-oo," "Black Beauty," "The Mooche," "Mood Indigo," and "Rockin' in Rhythm." The OKeh package lacks versions of "Solitude" and "Creole Love Call," but offers some noteworthy exclusives: superb solo stride-piano versions of "Black Beauty" and "Swampy River"; Jabbo Smith's wonderful trumpet solo on a 1927 version of "Black and Tan Fantasy" as a game-day replacement for "indisposed" co-composer Bubber Miley; and the first recording of "The Mooche," with Miley in control and guitarist Lonnie Johnson augmenting an already formidable lineup that includes Tricky Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, Harry Carney, and Johnny Hodges. Even when a star like trumpet-growl pioneer Miley moved on, Cootie Williams would more than fill the gap. Musically, Ellington brought jazz to new levels of sophistication, complexity, and emotional depth during this first great period, synthesizing the classic New Orleans sound with a vibrant theatrical element and a dynamic rhythmic impulse. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Great Music, Poor Remastering.......2006-01-06

What else can I say? I played a very clean copy of the 78 rpm of "Diga Diga Doo" on my turntable last week, then put on this CD's remastering, and it was amazing how Sony's engineeers drained all the presence and warmth out of what were some of the BEST recorded 78s of their era! Don't get me started on the pitch problems with the acoustic recordings! Now that Sony-BMG have merged, one can only pray that 21st-century technology will be applied to these masterworks and put this mangy puppy to sleep. 3 stars for music alone.

1 out of 5 stars Atrocious Noise Reduction Job.......2005-10-06

I'm appalled this CD is still in print using the same horrid transfers Sony made in 1991. The major label philosophy at that time was, "Eliminate any and all trace of hiss or crackle from the original 78, no matter if it totally kills the music in the process." Great progress has been made since that time in the development of technology to transfer 78s without destroying the music, but has Sony bothered to create a new remaster? No. They are still pressing new CDs from the original 1991 transfers and they sound HORRID. Save your money, I beg of you, and wait for somebody to do this material correctly. This release is a disgrace.

2 out of 5 stars Great music, but I hate this sound........2005-09-06

This 2Cd contains some great performances of this absolutely best orchestra ever. I love first version of The Mooche with Baby Cox and Hot & Bothered too. Harlem twist not first but one of the best versions of East St. Louis Toodle-oo. Great version of Mood Indigo and Black and Tan fantasy without Bubber Miley.
And first version of great Rockin'in Rhythm.
This is a essential music for every fans of early jazz.
But!!! sound on this double cd is one of the worst I ever heard.
Absolutely muted, no clarity, no high tones, no drums.
I recorded some songs (Rockin'in Rhythm, The Mooche, Harlem Twist) in Austrian radio station and sound on my cassette is 100% better than on this 2Cd.
I hope then this recordings in future will be release in better form than on this Cd.

4 out of 5 stars Great stuff!.......2003-07-22

I'm not a tremendous expert on Ellington's earlier material, but this CD set compares favorably with my old RCA 3-LP collection that covers nearly the same period. I love this stuff, even the silly novelty numbers and the middling tunes that sound like they belong on the soundtrack of a Betty Boop cartoon. The sound quality is good for recordings this old, and the booklet has plenty of info.

My only complaint is that some tunes show up a few too many times (there are *how many* versions of "East St. Louis Toodeloo" on here under various titles?!?), even if they have some significant differences - and I find I can only listen to one of the discs at a time before I burn out.

But this is just wonderful music, and a must for anybody interested in Ellington and/or early jazz.

5 out of 5 stars THE GREAT BLACK ENTERTAINER!.......2002-08-12

Duke Ellington in my opinion, was the best composer and piano player since Scott Joplin. He was the man! Duke Ellington; that is. Duke's music was the cotton club's entertainment. After Duke went on to persue new avenues, Cab Calloway took over the cotton Club's entertainment. These songs on this CD are his early pieces, such as: The Mooche, with or without Baby Cox singing vocal. Sweet Mama, Black Beauty, Black & Tan Fantasy, and many more. Another jazz masterpiece for your collection.

Jazz Music:

  1. The Sorcerer [Original recording remastered]
  2. These Are Soulful Days
  3. Trio 99>00
  4. Trio Sud
  5. Truth in Shredding
  6. Turkish Women at the Bath
  7. Wynton Marsalis
  8. Yusef Lateef's Detroit
  9. 1958- Paris Olympia
  10. A Long Story

Jazz Music

Jazz Music