Yvonne Lanauze

In the process of offering a survey of great Ellington vocalists, this collection provides a seredipitous overview of the sound of the band itself from the 1930s through the 1950s. Of course, Ellington's output was enormous, and enormously varied, and no one collection of 16 tracks could do the diversity of his oevre justice, but focusing on vocal arrangements provides an intriguing window on this situation. Among other pleasures, this collection provides the thrill of going to the source. "It Don't Mean A Thing," is heard here in its debut incarnation, with Ivie Anderson's stealthy opening scat, and wah-wah plunger riffs played by the very trumpet section that was in the process of defining that style for all time…

Eight of the selections on this interesting CD feature Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on pianos, with backup work by either Wendell Marshall or Joe Shulman on bass plus an unidentified drummer on a few numbers. Among the more notable selections are "Cotton Tail," "C Jam Blues," "Johnny Come Lately," and particularly a wild version of "Tonk." The latter's big-band selections include the initial studio recording of "The Tattooed Bride" and a lengthy exploration (utilizing Yvonne Lanauze's wordless vocals) of "Mood Indigo."