Duke Ellington And His Orchestra 1929 1930 (1991)

Trying to make sense of Duke Ellington's massive catalog is one of the more daunting tasks facing jazz lovers. His early output alone includes scores of songs, often with several different versions and a variety of record labels to consider. For completists, the Classics label offers a chronological route covering the mid-'20s through the mid-'40s (without a lot in the way of alternate takes). And while not as strong in content as roundups on Bluebird or Columbia, these discs offer one the thrilling opportunity of witnessing Ellington go from novelty jungle material to sophisticated early swing and on into the annals of jazz legend with those stellar early-'40s sides…