Ellington Alhambra

Part 1. The tracks within this first of two volumes were drawn from two separate concerts recorded on the same evening at the Alhambra in Paris. Like many releases of quasi-legal origin, it is hard to say that Duke Ellington himself would have authorized the release of these performances, as there are some problems with a squeaky reed in spots. "Take the 'A' Train" is joined in progress, while there are numerous other live versions of medleys like "Black and Tan Fantasy/Creole Love Call/The Mooche" and "Kinda Dukish/Rockin' in Rhythm." That said, the band is in good form. Among the highlights are works of fairly recent vintage: "Newport Up" (showcasing a wild tradeoff of brief exchanges between Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves and clarinetist Jimmy Hamilton), a medley of "Such Sweet Thunder" and "Sonnet to Hank Cinq," though "What Else Can You Do With a Drum" is a bit of a dud…

Much of the music on this CD from Duke Ellington's 1958 Paris concerts is familiar to collectors from its appearance on various European bootleg labels, but Pablo does a better job arranging and annotating this music, which was recorded by Radio France with permission. The program mixes favorites such as "Take the 'A' Train" (featuring trumpeter Ray Nance, who also soloed on its recorded debut), the always exciting medley of "Kinda Dukish" and "Rockin' in Rhythm" (though the first piece is not listed), and the inevitable wailing extended solo by Paul Gonsalves in "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue." "Juniflip," a fairly new piece written to feature Clark Terry's matchless flügelhorn, was performed only a handful of times and left the band book with his departure the following year…