Historians and some Duke Ellington fans look askance at the brief period he spent on Capitol Records (1953-55). This was a hectic period in jazz, with bebop in the near-view, hard bop coming along as well, and the big band was considered by many to be a relic of bygone eras. Yet Ellington persevered, and not without another adversity: the temporary loss of signature alto player Johnny Hodges, who was off leading his own bands. The resulting five CDs worth of material collected here show an Ellington band more aimed at repetition, both of its own repertoire, which had sounded better in the 1940s, and of other bands' material. Singer Jimmy Grissom does a good job with the Ellington band, without the velvety, almost spooky polish of Herb Jeffries (as evidenced on the astounding Blanton-Webster Years collection) but with a sureness that even sounds like jump blues in spots. What comes from the full-band tracks here is a clear demonstration that Ellington's outfit was sharp in the early '50s, with Juan Tizol and Ray Nance playing at a peak. But what's invaluable from this box set are the Ellington small-band tunes. The piano-trio cuts, available separately on Piano Reflections, present Duke as a keyboard polymath, dropping modernist touches in his spacing and phrasing and still managing a great deal of coloristic depth. And then there are the totally startling long blues tunes with Ellington on electric piano. Preeminently interested in everything that seemed musically possible, Ellington makes the tunes shine. This collection serves as a long-form rebuttal to all the naysayers who scoff at the Duke's early 1950s work.
Disc 1 (1:09:13)
01. Satin Doll (3:00)
02. Without A Song (3:01)
03. Cocktails For Two (2:58)
04. My Old Flame (3:14)
05. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (3:11)
06. Ain't Nothin' Nothin' (Baby Without You) (2:58)
07. Stormy Weather (3:12)
08. Star Dust (2:29)
09. Three Little Words (2:46)
10. Orson (2:52)
11. Boo-Dah (2:54)
12. Blossom (2:29)
13. Ballin' The Blues (3:03)
14. Warm Valley (3:23)
15. Flamingo (3:43)
16. Bluejean Beguine (2:43)
17. Liza (3:15)
18. Who Knows (2:38)
19. Retrospection (3:58)
20. B Sharp Blues (2:48)
21. Passion Flower (3:07)
22. Dancers In Love (1:56)
23. Reflections In D (3:35)
Disc 2 (1:06:34)
01. Melancholia (3:21)
02. Prelude To A Kiss (3:04)
03. In A Sentimental Mood (2:33)
04. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (2:57)
05. All Too Soon (3:08)
06. Janet (2:14)
07. Give Me The Right (2:47)
08. Is It A Sin (My Loving You) (2:56)
09. Don't Touch Me (2:02)
10. Basin Street Blues (5:53)
11. Big Drag (2:52)
12. Hear My Plea (2:55)
13. Don't Ever Say Goodbye (3:01)
14. What More Can I Say? (3:09)
15. Kinda Dukish (2:32)
16. Montevideo (2:34)
17. December Blue (2:44)
18. I'm Just A Lucky So And So (3:03)
19. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream (3:15)
20. What More Can I Say (2:40)
21. Rockin' In Rhythm (4:02)
22. Ultra Deluxe (2:54)
Disc 3 (1:09:37)
01. Flying Home (6:17)
02. Chile Bowl (2:44)
03. Blue Moon (2:47)
04. Oh Well (3:35)
05. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' (2:44)
06. Ultra Deluxe (2:48)
07. Flying Home (6:11)
08. What More Can I Say? (2:27)
09. Serious Serenade (3:00)
10. Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin' (3:55)
11. Honeysuckle Rose (4:19)
12. Night Time (2:17)
13. Stompin' At The Savoy (5:07)
14. Don't Ever Say Goodbye (2:18)
15. Black and Tan Fantasy (5:13)
16. Frivolous Banta (2:40)
17. In The Mood (6:02)
18. One O'Clock Jump (5:13)
Disc 4 (1:07:37)
01. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (6:23)
02. Happy-Go-Lucky Local (5:35)
03. Rockin' In Rhythm (4:33)
04. Falling Like A Raindrop (3:02)
05. All Day Long (2:48)
06. Bunny Hop Mambo (2:32)
07. Isle Of Capri (2:21)
08. C Jam Blues (4:52)
09. Band Call (2:33)
10. Gonna Tan Your Hide (6:13)
11. It Don't Mean A Thing (10:20)
12. Smile (2:39)
13. Echo Tango (2:36)
14. If I Give My Heart To You (2:40)
15. Chile Bowl (2:42)
16. Bakiff (5:47)
Disc 5 (1:06:35)
01. Twelfth Street Rag Mambo (2:37)
02. September Song (2:54)
03. Caravan (4:33)
04. La Virges De La Macarena (4:02)
05. Harlem Air Shaft (Alt Tk) (3:56)
06. Harlem Air Shaft (3:55)
07. Look What I've Got For You (2:47)
08. Commericial Time (3:56)
09. Clarinet Melodrama (5:43)
10. Theme For Trambean (3:27)
11. Coquette (2:33)
12. Serious Serenade (2:50)
13. Body And Soul (4:52)
14. Discontented Blues (5:17)
15. One In A Blue Mood (5:46)
16. Lady Be Good (4:50)
17. So Long (2:38)
