DEMS BULLETIN
DUKE ELLINGTON MUSIC SOCIETY
04/2 August-November 2004
FOUNDER: BENNY AASLAND
HONORARY MEMBER: FATHER JOHN GARCIA GENSEL
EDITOR: SJEF HOEFSMIT
ASSISTED BY: ROGER BOYES
| | THE INTERNATIONAL DEMS BULLETIN DUKE ELLINGTON MUSIC SOCIETY 04/2 August-November 2004 FOUNDER: BENNY AASLAND |
Voort 18b, 2328 Meerle, Belgium
Telephone: +32 3 315 75 83
Email: dems@skynet.be
Blue Bells or Blue Belles of Harlem ?
DEMS 04/2-23
See DEMS 04/1-17
Steven Lasker has sent us a photocopy of page 1242 of the Catalog of
Copyright Entries - Musical Compositions. Entry 29343 reads as
follows:
Blue belles of Harlem ; melody Duke Ellington. © 1 c. Oct.3,
1940 ; E unp. 233240 ; Robbins music corp., New York.
On the ASCAP list (which was the source for the list in MIMM) the
title is spelled: Blue Bells of Harlem. It seems that we should
accept both spellings. See for the story behind this composition the
Paul Whiteman initiative for staging another "Experiment in Modern
Music" at Carnegie as described in Stratemann p156. "Six composers -
Ellington among them - had been commissioned to contribute to a
40-minute musical anthology titled 'Those Bells' ".
DEMS
I'm sure we can simply take Blue Belles of Harlem as a
punning title of the sort we know Duke loved. Maybe the first entry
was made closer to the date of the original Whiteman 'Bells'
commission and that the later one reflects Duke's play on the word.
Am I right in thinking that, once Ellington started performing his
piece himself, away from the context of the Whiteman commission in
1938, the word was always spelled Belles, as on the
concert programme for 23 January 1943, and never went back to
Bells?
Roger Boyes
Duke Ellington Live at Carnegie Hall - 11Dec43
DEMS 04/2-24
I have only recently come across a copy of DEMS Bulletin 02/1in which
there was a review of a Duke Ellington Live at Carnegie Hall 11Dec43
Concert on p19/1.
Since I was the founder back in the early 60s of Ember Records and
your critic took time out to berate me about the poor and incorrect
liner notes, I thought that I would at least come back to you with
some comments which may be beneficial to all concerned.
I accept that I am not a writer but I am a devoted fan of the Duke
and had the pleasure of knowing him and seeing many performances of
the Band.
It was my love of Jazz music that not only prompted the founding of
The Flamingo Jazz Club in London which I launched back in 1951 and
which helped to encourage the growth of British Jazz but because of
the love of the Duke's music, I also acquired material and released
it on my Ember label.
The re-release on EMBCD507 via our then distributor, TKO Magnum Music
was obviously a less than satisfactory release from the point of view
of the hierarchy of the Duke Ellington Music Society but it was an
honest endeavour to put back on the market an album that had been
well received in its original vinyl form. The notes were written with
the best intention and were the honest intent of being informative. I
apologise to all and sundry if these notes were incorrect and
certainly make no apology for the "poor notes" but then I am not an
expert.
Since I have obviously made some major errors and having apologised
for these omissions, I would like to suggest that since Ember Records
still has in its vaults many tracks of Duke Ellington, that we
solicit the help of the Duke Ellington Music Society through your
goodself in asking your help. From all the titles that we do have in
the catalogue, would Mr Steiner and/or other members of the Society
be prepared to work with us on the putting together of some
definitive Ellington re-releases of material we originally released
on vinyl but this time with absolute perfection to have definitive
notes and personnel so we correct and amend the previously well
intentioned but not well received at the Society level of our
endeavours.
This is a genuine effort to solicit your help and I accept the
rebukes in the spirit that they were written but nevertheless we did
at least get the record back on to the market and I know it has given
pleasure to many fans from the countless letters we have received in
which many of them were not so scathing as that received at the hands
of your colleagues.
I do hope to hear from you.
Dr Jeffrey Kruger - MBE, Founder - Ember Records
It is obvious that we welcome every release of Ellington recordings.
Many "old" collectors would love to see some "fresh" material
released before they have to give up collecting and there is still a
small but very dedicated group of young collectors, who would benefit
from re-releases.
We gladly offer you our assistance in every respect. We certainly are
more than happy to check your liner-notes beforehand and to mention
your new or re-releases in our Bulletin. We wish you good-luck!
DEMS
It is a shame that Jeff Kruger has been upset by comments in the
Bulletin on his Ember re-release of the second Carnegie Hall concert
recordings, especially as I know he has played a distinguished part
in the growth of jazz in Britain. I bought the 'Historically
Speaking' LP and the 1946 Musicrafts on his Ember LPs many years ago
and found them very acceptable despite the sketchy notes. It was
exactly such notes on many LP issues in the 60s and 70s which led me
to start digging into the facts behind the recordings in the first
place, and so brought me eventually to the Bulletin! We have learned
so much more over 30-40 years, and the musical landscape is now so
vast, that no one can keep up with everything. Generalists need to
know how to contact others who specialise, so they can use the
specialists' expertise. A straight CD reissue of an LP, which
appeared 30 years ago, is a risky project, unless the content of the
LP was very thoroughly researched in the first place. And even in
those cases it is likely that updating will be needed. If some good
comes of this upset, in the shape of well-presented issues of other
material not currently available (or poorly compiled), I shall be
pleased.
Roger Boyes
Nell Brookshire
DEMS 04/2-25
See DEMS 04/1-1
Nell Brookshire was born 26Sep39 and died 27Dec03.
Patricia Willard
The BBC America Dances Story
DEMS 04/2-26
See DEMS 04/1-6
The correct location of the 15Mar39 session was the CBS Studios in
NYC, John Harper announcer. The sequence of the titles is correct
apart from the fact that Pussy Willow does not appear in the
BBC listings or the review of the broadcast in "The Melody Maker" of
25Mar39 p4. The program was heard in England between 7:02:45 - 7:30
PM local time.
Carl Hällström
You are right. The location of the 15Mar39 broadcast was not the
Apollo Theatre but the CBS Studios (as correctly mentioned in the New
DESOR). I made the mistake myself.
Sjef Hoefsmit
Closing Night at the Hotel Sherman
DEMS 04/2-27
There's an NBC broadcast surviving from the last night of Duke's
Sherman Hotel residency in Chicago in summer 1942, 13Aug. There's a
discrepancy between the content of this broadcast as described in the
New DESOR, and as described in Timner (4th ed) and Nielsen. The New
DESOR says Ivie sings Massachusetts. Nielsen and Timner say
she sings At Last and Be Careful It's My Heart.
Can you tell me who's right?
Roger Boyes
In order to be consistent, the New DESOR should have included only
three selections from this session, Manhattan Serenade; At Last
andMassachusetts. Only these three selections have been
listened to and described by Giovanni and Luciano. They do not have a
copy of the other tunes, neither do I nor anybody I know or knew like
the late Benny Aasland, who not only included all eight titles in
WaxWorks 42-33, but also mentioned the soloists. Timner and Nielsen
copied Benny Aasland's mistakes from WaxWorks (1979). The Italians
have trusted Benny Aasland only as far as the titles were concerned.
They have not accepted the soloists and they are right not to do so.
I can confirm that At Last is an instrumental piece without
vocal and that Massachusetts was sung by Ivie, because I have
listened to the recordings as found by Jerry Valburn in 1985, see
DEMS 85/3-4. I should have mentioned this in my Comments on Timner,
but I have not paid much attention to the initials of the
vocalists.
Sjef Hoefsmit
The European tour in 1950
DEMS 04/2-28
See DEMS 04/1-21
A comment regarding Horst Bergmeier's questions about the 1950
European tour. In Sweden, there were only 2 trombones (LB and QJ) but
6 saxes. Alva McCain played the third trombone part on tenor. This is
a parallel to 1969, at least in Sweden, when Norris Turney did the
same thing.
Jan Bruér
Al Hibbler on It Don't Mean a Thing
DEMS 04/2-29
I have recently purchased a 78rpm record that is puzzling me. The
label is "Blue Bell" N.Y. 537. The artist is Al Hibbler and The Boys.
The music is on side A: It Don't Mean a Thing - part I. On the
other side is part II and it is only filling 50 percent of the space.
The record is not listed in Jerry Valburn's Directory of DE
Recordings.
"The Boys" are unmistakably Duke Ellington's Orchestra.
From the New DESOR, I can tell that Al Hibbler performed It Don't
Mean a Thing on 4 occasions: Carnegie Hall, 26 and 27Dec47 and
Click Restaurant, 24Nov48 and 2Sep49. The Click Restaurant
performances have been issued on Raretone 5003 and 5005 respectively
while the first two remain unissued. Do you have any information
about this Blue Bell record ?
Bo Haufman
I cannot believe that your 78rpm record is from any of the four
Ellington dates you mentioned. It wouldn't have been a 78rpm but a
track on an LP. It might be the recording from 1948/49, Chicago, Al
Hibbler and the Ellingtonians, matrix Su2135, released on Chess, as
mentioned in Timner (4th edition) on page 471. Although it seems that
this Chess 78rpm had on the flip side another title (What Will I
Tell My Heart?) and not part II of It Don't Mean a Thing.
Furthermore, you say that it was Ellington's orchestra. However on
the Chess 78rpm is only a small group: Ray Nance, Tyree Glenn, Ben
Webster, Billy Strayhorn, Junior Raglin and Fletcher Jackson. As you
understand, I do not have a copy of the Blue Bell 78rpm you
mentioned. If you make me a copy (on cassette if you wish) I will be
happy to compare it with all the Hibbler performances of this title
that I have. Do you hear an audience?
Sjef Hoefsmit
No, it cannot be the Chess recording because there is the full band
behind Hibbler. Having listened to the recording again several times
I think it can after all be one of the Raretone recordings but I am
unable to tell which one. I hear no audience. I will send you a copy
on cassette. You will notice that the tune is running for a little
more than 4 minutes and therefore they have split it over the two
sides. At the end of side 1 they are fading down the music to a close
and starting it up on side 2 with a fade up.
Bo Haufman
Thank you very much for the copy on cassette. What you have on the
mysterious 78rpm "Blue Bell" is a part (4 min) of the 24Nov48 (6 min)
recording. "Blue Bell" ends in the 5° chorus at bar 28. The
5° and 6° choruses are not by Ben Webster as mistakenly
claimed on the jacket of the Raretone LP 5003. It is Al Sears. The
Raretone recording is also not complete. It ends in the 7°
chorus at bar 16. Those who want absolutely to know which one was the
very first release should make a note. Your "Blue Bell" 78rpm is
undoubtedly older than the 1979 Raretone LP and could as such be
considered a collector's item.
Sjef Hoefsmit
The six important Columbia/Legacy releases
DEMS 04/2-30
See DEMS 03/3-20/4
I have found in Antwerp's FNAC the CD "Festival
Session" with the number 512916 2, the CD
"Ellington Uptown" with the number 512917 2 and
the CD "Masterpieces by Ellington" with the number
512918 2. On these CDs is mentioned "made in Austria". These
numbers are different from the numbers mentioned in DEMS 03/2-21 and
22 where the numbers were respectively CK 87044, CK 87066 and CK
87043. The numbers differ but the CDs are identical.
Georges Debroe has not exaggerated. Patricia Willard's liner-notes
are indeed brilliant. She has interviewed long ago and also quite
recently, everybody who could give her more insight in the sessions
and she came forward with some highly interesting and "fresh"
information. It is with the greatest respect that I make some remarks
and ask some questions. Not to be critical but only to be helpful in
setting straight some minor details.
"Festival Session".
It is suggested in the liner notes that Willie Cook who played in the
Festival Session, sailed (or flew) with the band to Europe (Sep59)
and that he would move on from the band within the year. As far as we
know, Willie Cook did not join the band which went to Europe. There
are no reports or video recordings which show us five trumpet-players
in all.
Clark Terry's feature Juniflip on the Flugelhorn was actually
first recorded at Travis Air Force Base on 4Mar58.
We found the following statement on page 3 below the personnel
listing rather cryptic: "When only one drummer is playing, it is Sam
Woodyard". This cannot be the case for DUAEL FUEL. On this piece we
clearly hear a single drummer from time to time, but it is not Sam,
it is Jimmy Johnson. It seems that the statement was intended to
indicate that there was only one drummer on the other selections on
this album, but that is not the case either, because we hear two
drummers on IDIOM'59, specifically in part 3. If the right and the
left channels are in place, we can state that the high hat (which
came through the right channel) was played by Sam Woodyard.
It is untrue that Launching Pad was until now erroneously
credited exclusively to Ellington as claimed in the liner notes. It
was as early as 1977 credited to both Ellington and Terry in the old
Desor. Eddie Lambert also knew what he was talking about (p216) when
he wrote long ago (anyway before 1987) that Launching Pad was
probably written as a collaboration between Ellington and Terry. On
my Columbia LPs no composers are mentioned and on my old Columbia CD
468402 it is indeed only attributed to Ellington, but on my Philips
LP 840 074, which I bought in 1961 it reads on the label
Launching pad [sic] (Ellington/Terry). The concert
version of 4Jul59 at Newport has been issued on a Foxy double LP,
which correctly credits Ellington-Terry. Moreover, in the concert
itself Duke credits Clark Terry: "And now another new number. Clark
Terry brought in a thing we are gonna call it, it is supposed to be
in the middle of a suite, but we're gonna call it Launching
Pad. Are you ready? Shall we count down?" I have no
idea why Duke transferred the solo part in Launching Pad from
Harold Baker to Ray Nance. Harold performed it at Newport on 4Jul59
and again at the Playboy Festival on 8Aug59, a month before the
studio session. In my humble opinion he did at Newport an even better
job than Ray. We cannot tell you how he sounded on the Playboy
recording because Harold's mike was switched off. Duke again
credited Clark as follows (one word could not be understood): "And
now a new thing [unidentified word] Clark Terry, called Launching
Pad. You know what a launching pad is? Everyone has a pad, but it
is only a launching pad when it gets you some place." After the
number Duke called: "Clark Terry, Shorty Baker. Thank you very much
for Launching Pad."
It is indeed a pity that Clark never did the solo part. It would have
been interesting to hear his version.
"Ellington Uptown".
1. Skin Deep. On page 7 we read that Sonny Greer
rendered the final bar of Skin Deep. Must we take that
literally? In that case, he should be included in the list of
personnel in our discographies. In defence of numerically-bound
discographers, I point out that the wrong date for the recording of
Skin Deep was supplied by Columbia on CK 40836 as 8Dec52.
Since the matrix number did not make sense, the DESOR group presumed
that this was again the mix-up of dates between the American and the
European way of presenting dates and they changed the date in Benny
Aasland's Waxworks from 10Aug52 into 12Aug52. In the new DESOR the
date was changed into 8Nov52, which was quite reasonable since that
was the date of the Mercer session from which Columbia acquired on
8Dec52 two selections (Good Woman Blues and Body and
Soul) in addition to the Mercer recording of Skin Deep.
This explains at the same time the wrong recording date of 8Dec52
mentioned by Columbia. I understand that discographers are reluctant
to bother the soloist or the record producer in person. What they
prefer to do is inquire at the office of the record company, which
usually doesn't bother to send an answer.
2. The Mooche. The sequence of the soloists seems to be wrong.
The New DESOR has indeed first Hilton Jefferson (in the 4° and
5° chorus) before Harry Carney (in the 6° chorus) but this
description was corrected in DEMS Bulletin 02/2-27 (page 1213) by
Hans-Joachim Schmidt who wrote: "The description is wrong in that it
is definitely Paul Gonsalves on tenor behind Quentin Jackson in the
4° and 5° chorus, not Hilton Jefferson on alto. Paul plays
the role of Johnny Hodges (later Willie Smith) here, and Hilton
Jefferson is 'recompensed' with an extra solo afterwards." (Hilton's
solo is in the 7° chorus).
3. Take the "A" Train. I have tried to find any of the "most
discographies", in which it is claimed that Billy Strayhorn played
the piano. No such claim is made either in the old Desor, or in the
New DESOR, or in Nielsen, Lord, Jepsen, Lambert or Timner's 1st, 2nd
or 3rd edition. Only in Timner's 4th edition is Billy mentioned among
the personnel of this session, but even here he is not specifically
credited for playing Take the "A" Train. All discographers
agree with Clark Terry (and so do I): Duke was on the piano.
4. Harlem was indeed premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House
on 21Jan51, but not with a symphony orchestra. The premiere with the
NBC Symphony Orchestra was on 20Jun51 at the Lewisohn Stadium in NYC.
See Klaus Stratemann p327. The performance of 21Jan51 was recorded
and has been released on Rare Records LP 3. The 20Jun51 performance
was either not recorded or the recording has been lost.
5. Perdido. Unlike Take the "A" Train I have a great
problem in believing Clark Terry when he claimed that Billy played
the piano on this piece.
8-13. The LIBERIAN SUITE. Elayne Jones' involvement with the Suite as
far as playing timpani is concerned is a bit of a mystery. According
to the liner-notes, Dance # 3 is supposed to be the selection
on which she performed because this is the only part of the suite
with a violin solo, shortly after which came her little contribution.
I tried to locate the timpani after Ray Nance's part of Dance #
3, but I could not find it. The personnel listing on page 3 does
not include her name and mentions Sonny Greer as having played the
timpani at this recording session. Elayne made a presentation on
13Aug93 in NYC for the Ellington Conference in which she made us
listen to the introduction to Dance # 1 from the 27Dec47
concert in which she played her "only note". This note could (and
can) be heard after the first note on the piano by Ellington at the
end of the introduction. I also checked the performance of the
26Dec47 concert. On this occasion there was so much percussion at
that point that it is impossible (for me) to say if Elayne also
played in the first concert or only in the second. She certainly was
present during both concerts because she performed on piano in
Entrance of Youth. At the end of Elayne's presentation
Patricia Willard asked her if she also participated in the studio
recordings on 24Dec47. Her answer was "No, she didn't". I have
listened to all three studio recorded versions of Dance # 1:
they are the unissued rehearsal, the released Columbia recording and
the alternate on Up to Date 2005. On none of the three do I hear
timpani at that moment in the performance. My guess is that she did
indeed play at both concerts on Dance # 1, but that she did
not play on Dance # 3 during the studio session as is
suggested in the liner notes. Listening to all these performances of
24, 26 and 27Dec47 makes it difficult to believe that the studio
recordings were made before the concerts.
That Dance # 5 on this release is an alternate take (as
detected by Georges Debroe) went unnoticed. I wonder if Michael
Brooks and Michael Cuscuna have also found the previously released
version among the original acetates and if so, I would thank them for
giving us collectors an alternate take to enjoy. But why not mention
it?
Sjef Hoefsmit
"Ellington Uptown".
9-10. The LIBERIAN SUITE (Dances #1 and #2).
Like many others I thought that in this era, blessed by the best
technological knowledge, we could expect the world's top record
companies to release faultless products. Not so. I bought a copy
of the latest version of "Ellington Uptown", Columbia 512917. Reading
them on the way back home, I was pleased to learn from the liner
notes that at last the annoying silence between Dances No. 1 & 2,
had been eliminated. This is indeed what really happens but, could
somebody explain why in the process one bar, the first of
Dance # 2, was cut off ? I might expect to be told that
there were insuperable technical problems but this is not so. My copy
of 10" LP Philips B07611R is perfectly edited. If it was impossible
(why?) to do it again they could at least make a copy of a small
portion of the original tapes or pressings and insert it. Can anyone
check a copy of the Original American Columbia 10" LP and see if it's
OK?
Vittorio Castelli
I also have only the Philips 10" LP and not the Columbia 10" LP. Both
my CBS 12" LPs (66607L and 62686) and the CBS CD 462989 (Volume 5 of
"The Complete Duke Ellington") have the same pause as you described
it. It is worth checking the original Columbia release, because in
the past some differences have been found between the Columbia and
the Philips releases. I share your irritation about the missing
bar in the latest release, but I do not share your objection
concerning the pause in the 12" LPs and the earlier CD versions.
Actually during the première concert at the Carnegie Hall
there was not only a pause, filled with applause, but there was also
an introduction by the band at the start of Dance #2 which was not on
the studio releases. I do not say studio recordings, because who
knows: maybe the introduction in the studio has been deleted? The
original recording (as stated in the liner-notes) was certainly not
made without an interruption between Dance #1 and Dance #2. Comparing
the studio version (of 24Dec47) and the concerts (of 26 and 27Dec47)
makes me once again express doubt that this is the correct
sequence of these recordings. It sounds as if the studio recordings
were made after the concerts.
Sjef Hoefsmit
Yes, in principle I wouldn't have any objection to separating the two
dances. I only dislike the accidental cut in the way it has been
done. Really the ending of Dance #1, being so weird, doesn't help,
but that's it. Maybe the pause should be longer? Even one and a half
second (that's what it is, not three seconds as mentioned in the new
liner notes) are not enough to let the last note fade out naturally
in your ear! I don't know. Anyway, I prefer the way it is arranged on
the 10" LP!
Vittorio Castelli
"Masterpieces by Ellington".
I really cannot say which spelling is correct. I have Marenguito
instead of Merenghito.
The date I have for the four "masterpieces" is 18Dec50 and not
19Dec50, but it is very possible that this is due to the recording
session going on after midnight.
I do not have Francis Williams in the session of 11Dec51. For the
session of 7Aug51, I have Cat Anderson instead of Andres
Marenguito.
On 19Dec90, Mitchell Parish told the gathering of the Duke Ellington
Society of NYC that he was the lyricist of Mood Indigo. In
2001 however in an article in IAJRC Journal of Winter 2001, pages
37-38, Don Peak and Tor Magnusson explained that the lyricist was
Gene Austin, who was reported to have sold the lyrics for $ 25.- to
Irving Mills. In either case there is no question about who got the
revenues of the copyright: Irving again.
In spite of Yvonne's statement that Duke played during the whole
recording of Sophisticated Lady, I believe that Luciano
Massagli and Giovanni Volonté are right in stating that Billy
Strayhorn took over in the 3° chorus. However I cannot buy the
statement that Billy played parts of The Tattooed Bride. I
only hear Ellington.
I share Patricia Willard's reservations about the statement in "some
discographies" (that must have been in the New DESOR) that Billy
played the beginning of Mood Indigo. I only hear Ellington. I
only have some doubts in the 7° chorus.
If Eddie de Lange's name is originally Dutch it is certainly spelled
de Lange and not DeLang.
Sjef Hoefsmit
The six important Columbia/Legacy re-releases with
bonuses!
DEMS 04/2-31
See DEMS 03/2-21&22
The first set of three CDs has been released and has been discussed
in DEMS 03/3-20/4 and 04/2-30. The numbers under which these CDs have
been released in Austria are different from those, given in our
listing in 03/2. What we mentioned were the American release
numbers.
Festival Session in America CK 87044; in Europe 512916 2
Ellington Uptown CK 87006; 512917 2
Masterpieces by Ellington CK 87043; 512918 2
The following set of three CDs is now scheduled to be released 2Aug04:
Blues in Orbit CK 87041; 512915 2
Piano in the Background CK 87107; 512919 2
Piano in the Foreground CK 87042; 512920 2
DEMS**
Three Little Words
DEMS 04/2-32
See DEMS 04/1-4
I have spent an afternoon to listen to all the solos that Freddy
Jenkins played with the Ellington Orchestra and I must tell you that
I changed my mind: it was certainly Freddy Jenkins and not Cootie
Williams who played the solo in Three Little Words.
Luciano Massagli**
Duke's spoken intro on the Fairmont LP
DEMS 04/2-33
Stan Slome has sent me as a filler on a cassette the first side of
ELLINGTON '59 from Fairmont LP F107. It is the same as the ELLINGTON
MOODS on SESAC LP Se N2701/02 and DUKE'S D.J. SPECIAL on FRESH SOUND
FSR-CD 141.
There is a 'Spoken Introduction by Duke Ellington', which is noted
both by Timner and by Nielsen. Do you know why it is ignored in the
New DESOR?
Lance Travis**
I guess that it was not included in the 27Mar59 session because it
was not recorded during that session. Duke spoke of recently cut in
New York. He is probably not in New York when he said this and it was
definitely not on 27Mar59. I think that DESOR has given up hope to
find the actual recording date of this commercial. If it will be
found it should be a separate session or belong to another one.
Sjef Hoefsmit**
You are right. We have not mentioned the spoken intro by Duke because
untill now we haven't found the actual recording date of it.
Luciano Massagli**
Lost Secret Records LSR-001
DEMS 04/2-34
See DEMS 03/1-15/1
If you have not succeeded in finding this CD, you can now order it
from WorldsRecords for $ 16.- under code 52022. See for address etc.
DEMS 02/3-15/3
DEMS**
All American in Jazz
DEMS 04/2-35
I've come across a set of five 7-inch (45RPM-sized) 33 1/3 RPM
records by Duke Ellington, and I was wondering if you have any idea
what they might be worth. I've searched the major record collector
sites and googled all over, but I find no mention of them at all.
They're on a Columbia "Stereo Seven" label, numbers S7 31433 thru
31437, packaged up in a brown jacket that says "Stereo Seven Artist
of the Week", for jukeboxes only. And they're in beautiful
condition.
Any info would help.
Chris Shepard**
The five 7 inch LPs are well known among Ellington collectors. The
music is the same as on the 12 inch LP, titled All American in Jazz,
Columbia CL-1790, recorded in Jan62. The music is by Charlie Strouse
and Lee Adams from a musical under the title ALL AMERICAN, arranged
for the Ellington orchestra by Billy Strayhorn (8 selections) and
probably Ellington (2 selections: Nightlife and What a
Country!)). It is not considered one of Ellington's masterpieces.
The LP is difficult to find but the music has been re-released on CD
Columbia 469138-2 which is a French product and probably difficult to
find in the USA.
Your set will only have value for a collector of the records itself
but not for the collectors of Ellington's music. Most of them must
have it already.
You could put it on sale on E-bay and ask for a bid. I have no idea
about the price you will get. If there are interested DEMS members we
will forward your address.
DEMS**
I Can't Give You Anything but Love - by the
Mills Brothers
DEMS 04/2-36
A salesman in England has offered through E-bay a Harry Coster
pressing of B12782-B, I Can't Give You Anything but Love,
according to the label by the Mills Brothers and Duke Ellington. On
the picture of the label one can also read: A on Br 6519. Recording
date 22Dec32. This recording is not mentioned in the New DESOR.
B12782 is missing. B12781 is Diga Diga Doo with the Mills
Brothers and Duke Ellington and B12783 is I Can't Give You
Anything but Love by Ethel Waters and Duke Ellington.
Is this an unknown recording?
Remco Plas**
It seems so, but I wouldn't count on it. In The "Wax Works" of Duke
Ellington by Benny Aasland (1954) we found: "The missing matrix
number, 12782, in this session is not recorded by Ellington."
DEMS**
The Complete Wellington Concert of 9Feb70
DEMS 04/2-37
See DEMS 04/1-7
One of the "old" broadcasts was introduced by a male speaker who
spoke of the concert of "last Monday". 9Feb70 was indeed a Monday.
This "old" broadcast contained the following selections in the
following sequence: C-Jam Blues; Take the "A" Train"; Passion
Flower; Things Ain't What They Used To Be; Birth of the Blues;
Harlem; Satin Doll and Meditation.
The second "old" broadcast contained La Plus Belle Africaine; Come
Off the Veldt; a Medley with 14 selections and In
Triplicate. The beginning of La Plus Belle Africaine and
the end of In Triplicate are missing as described in the New
DESOR for 7015d and 7015j (pp 988 and 944).
Both broadcasts were mentioned in Joe Igo's files with the indication
that the first one was a delayed broadcast and the second a location
recording. Although the second sounds a bit like a portable
recording, it was introduced as a broadcast by a lady-speaker who
clearly mentioned Town Hall and Wellington. She said that this was
the last half-hour of the concert. However, the broadcast took 38
minutes.
The broadcasts of 29Apr99 contained in the following order: C-Jam
Blues; Take the "A" Train; Passion Flower; Things Ain't What They
Used To Be; Birth of the Blues; Harlem; La Plus Belle Africaine
and Come Off the Veldt.
The broadcast of 30Apr99 contained in the following order: a Medley
with the following 10 selections: Do Nothin' Till You Hear from
Me, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Mood Indigo, I'm Beginning To See
the Light, Solitude, It Don't Mean a Thing, I Got It Bad, Be Cool and
Groovy for Me, Sophisticated Lady and Caravan. This Medley
was followed by: In Triplicate; Satin Doll; Meditation; April in
Paris; April in Paris; Fife; Ocht O'Clock Rock; Satin Doll and
close.
I listened to all the broadcasts and I found that the second "old"
one is different when compared with the 1999 broadcast. The first
"old" one however contains exactly the same recordings as the 1999
broadcasts. This means that on 9Feb70 the Duke played two concerts in
Wellington. I suggest that the second "old" broadcast was possibly
recorded during the afternoon concert and the 1999 broadcasts during
the evening concert: I think that, unfortunately, we'll never know
for certain. I would like to know your opinion before we delete the
session 7015 and replace it with 2 new sessions.
About the sequence of the selections in my opinion, there is no
reason to change the order of the broadcasts of Apr99 even if it
might appear a little strange to see 4 encores after
Meditation.
Luciano Massagli
I have also listened to the broadcasts in question. It seems
impossible to determine which broadcast came from the first and which
came from the second concert. In both concerts, Ellington apologised
to his audience for keeping them up so late. I would guess that there
were two evening concerts, one after the other. This was often the
case. 9Feb70 was a Monday, not a very likely day for an afternoon
concert.
Sjef Hoefsmit
The so called "old" broadcast (introduced by a lady speaker) is now
session 9042 on Correction-sheet 1063. The two broadcasts of Apr99
are combined as session 9043 on Correction-sheet 1064.
DEMS**