For Duke

This is an eight-CD set more for Duke Ellington fanatics than for general listeners. Originally, some of the music came out as a two-LP set (Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur) and a single album (Ellington's Soul Call), but the great majority of the material was previously unreleased when this box came out in 1998.

Duke Ellington - The Duke at Fargo 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Edition (2000) {2CD Set, Storyville 84385-38932 1}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 557 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 367 Mb
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© 1940, 2000 Storyville | 84385-38932 1
Jazz / Big Band / Swing / Early Jazz

The widely heralded recordings made of Duke Ellington & His Orchestra during a 1940 concert in Fargo, ND, have been justifiably praised for their historic value as well as for the surprisingly good sound obtained by a pair of young amateur engineers with a portable disc cutter. Both the soloists and Ellington's unique-sounding blend of reeds and brass are very distinct. Some of these tracks previously appeared on the Jazz Society label, followed by a Book-of-the Month Club set, and all of them appeared on the now-defunct Vintage Jazz Classics, but this latest version tops them all for sound quality.

Duke Ellington was so brilliant as a bandleader, arranger and composer that sometimes his piano playing was taken for granted. He gave few solo concerts in his career, which makes this particular Music Masters disc something special. At a 1964 appearance before the New York chapter of the Duke Ellington Society, the pianist played several trio numbers ("Take the 'A' Train," "Satin Doll," "Caravan," a drum showcase and a "Blues Medley") with his bassist Peck Morrison and drummer Sam Woodyard. There is also a joyous feature for Willie "The Lion" Smith (Duke's biggest influence) on "Carolina Shout," a remake of the Ellington-Billy Strayhorn piano duet "Tonk," and (best of all) four unaccompanied Ellington solos which are generally thoughtful and moody. This set is a must for Duke Ellington collectors.

During the month of July 1966, Duke Ellington & His Orchestra performed at the Juan-les-Pins/Antibes Jazz Festival on the French Riviera, locally known as the Côte D'Azur. Situated near a stand of towering pine trees, the stage allowed the instrumentalists to gaze at vessels sailing by on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. Ellington & His Orchestra, sometimes graced with the presence of vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, were filmed and taped extensively. When Ellington's Soul Call album was released in 1967, there was only room for 14 tracks…

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Duke Ellington Song Book (1957) {3CD Set Verve Master Edition 559 248-2 rel 1999}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 715 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 503 Mb
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© 1957, 1999 Verve / PolyGram | 559 248-2 | Verve Master Edition Series
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Standards

This release comes in a cardboard box which houses a 4-panel Digisleeve and a 66-page booklet. Ella Fitzgerald's outstanding songbook series has become an institution unto itself. This 1957 effort is distinguished from Fitzgerald's other songbooks in that it is the only album in which the composer whose work she is singing actively participates. In fact, these recordings are packed with some of the key figures in 20th century jazz. As if Ella and Duke weren't enough, Ellington's arranger/composer Billy Strayhorn, guest musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson, and brilliant record producer Norman Granz all have a hand in the proceedings.

A valued sideman, by the mid-'70s Duke would become a star and influential in his own right. For this 1974 MPS release, Frank Zappa had relinquished his studio time for Duke. The kind gesture immediately reverberated throughout jazz circles and beyond. By the time of this release, Duke's extensive resume included two stints with Zappa's Mothers of Invention as well as some time with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Although this would be the third album under his name, Feel's eclectic mix of fusion and rock is his debut in the genre of which he'd later become a leader.