Track listing
- The Early Recordings (1927-1934)
- 1.1 If You Can't Hold the Man You Love (Don't Cry When He's Gone)
- 1.2 Washington Wabble (Take 1)
- 1.3 Washington Wabble (Take 2)
- 1.4 Black and Tan Fantasy
- 1.5 Washington Wabble
- 1.6 Creole Love Call
- 1.7 Blues I Love to Sing (Take 1)
- 1.8 Blues I Love to Sing (Take 2)
- 1.9 Harlem River Quiver (Take 1)
- 1.10 Harlem River Quiver (Take 2)
- 1.11 Harlem River Quiver (Take 3)
- 1.12 East St. Louis Toodle-O
- 1.13 Blue Bubbles (Take 1)
- 1.14 Blue Bubbles (Take 2)
- 1.15 Black Beauty
- 1.16 Jubilee Stomp
- 1.17 Got Everything But You
- 1.18 Santa Claus, Bring My Man Back to Me
- 1.19 I Done Caught You Blues
- 1.20 The Mooche
- 2.1 I Can't Give You Anything But Love
- 2.2 No Papa No
- 2.3 No Papa No
- 2.4 I Can't Give You Anything But Love
- 2.5 Bandanna Babies
- 2.6 Diga Diga Do
- 2.7 I Must Have That Man
- 2.8 St. Louis Blues (Take 1)
- 2.9 St. Louis Blues (Take 2)
- 2.10 St. Louis Blues (Take 3)
- 2.11 Flaming Youth (Take 1)
- 2.12 Flaming Youth (Take 2)
- 2.13 Saturday Night Function
- 2.14 High Life
- 2.15 Doin' the Voom Voom (Take 1)
- 2.16 Doin' the Voom Voom (Take 2)
- 2.17 Japanese Dream
- 2.18 Harlemania
- 3.1 The Dicty Glide (Take 1)
- 3.2 The Dicty Glide (Take 2)
- 3.3 Hot Feet
- 3.4 Sloppy Joe (Take 1)
- 3.5 Sloppy Joe (Take 2)
- 3.6 Stevedore Stomp
- 3.7 A Night at the Cotton Club, Part 1 / Cotton Club Stomp / Misty Mornin'
- 3.8 A Night at the Cotton Club, Part 2 / Goin' to Town / Untitled Interlude / Freeze and Melt
- 3.9 Cotton Club Stomp
- 3.10 Misty Mornin'
- 3.11 Arabian Lover
- 3.12 Saratoga Swing
- 3.13 Mississippi
- 3.14 The Duke Steps Out
- 3.15 Haunted Nights
- 3.16 Swanee Shuffle
- 3.17 Breakfast Dance
- 3.18 Jazz Lips
- 3.19 March of the Hoodlums
- 4.1 Double Check Stomp
- 4.2 My Gal Is Good for Nothing but Love
- 4.3 I Was Made to Love You
- 4.4 Sweet Dreams of Love (Take 1)
- 4.5 Sweet Dreams of Love (Take 2)
- 4.6 Jungle Nights in Harlem
- 4.7 Sweet Jazz o' Mine (Take 1)
- 4.8 Sweet Jazz o' Mine (Take 2)
- 4.9 Shout 'Em Aunt Tillie
- 4.10 Ring Dem Bells (Take 2)
- 4.11 Ring Dem Bells (Take 3)
- 4.12 Old Man Blues (Take 1)
- 4.13 Old Man Blues (Take 2)
- 4.14 Old Man Blues (Take 3)
- 4.15 Three Little Words
- 4.16 Three Little Words
- 4.17 Ring Dem Bells
- 4.18 Old Man Blues (Take 4)
- 4.19 Old Man Blues (Take 6)
- 4.20 Hittin' the Bottle (Take 1)
- 4.21 Hittin' the Bottle (Take 2)
- 4.22 That Lindy Hop
- 5.1 You're Lucky to Me
- 5.2 Memories of You
- 5.3 Nine Little Miles From Ten-Ten-Tennessee (Take 1)
- 5.4 Nine Little Miles From Ten-Ten-Tennessee (Take 2)
- 5.5 I'm So in Love With You (Take 1)
- 5.6 I'm So in Love With You (Take 2)
- 5.7 What Good Am I Without You?
- 5.8 Blue Again
- 5.9 When a Black Man's Blue
- 5.10 Mood Indigo
- 5.11 What Good Am I Without You?
- 5.12 When a Black Man's Blue
- 5.13 The River and Me
- 5.14 Keep a Song in Your Soul
- 5.15 Sam and Delilah
- 5.16 Rockin' in Rhythm (Take 1)
- 5.17 Rockin' in Rhythm (Take 2)
- 5.18 Creole Rhapsody, Part 1
- 5.19 Creole Rhapsody, Part 2 (Take 3)
- 5.20 Creole Rhapsody, Part 2 (Take 2)
- 6.1 Limehouse Blues
- 6.2 Echoes of the Jungle
- 6.3 It's Glory
- 6.4 The Mystery Song
- 6.5 The Mystery Song
- 6.6 Mood Indigo / Hot and Bothered / Creole Love Call
- 6.7 Mood Indigo / Hot and Bothered / Creole Love Call
- 6.8 East St. Louis Toodle-O /Lot o' Fingers / Black and Tan Fantasy
- 6.9 Dinah
- 6.10 Bugle Call Rag
- 6.11 Maori
- 6.12 Rude Interlude (Take 1)
- 6.13 Rude Interlude (Take 2)
- 6.14 Dallas Doings (Take 1)
- 6.15 Dallas Doings (Take 2)
- 7.1 Dear Old Southland (Take 1)
- 7.2 Dear Old Southland (Take 2)
- 7.3 Daybreak Express (Take 1)
- 7.4 Daybreak Express (Take 2)
- 7.5 Delta Serenade (Take 1)
- 7.6 Delta Serenade (Take 2)
- 7.7 Stompy Jones
- 7.8 Solitude
- 7.9 Blue Feeling
- 7.10 Ebony Rhapsody
- 7.11 Cocktails for Two (Take 1)
- 7.12 Cocktails for Two (Take 2)
- 7.13 Live and Love Tonight
- 7.14 I Met My Waterloo
- 7.15 Troubled Waters (Take 1)
- 7.16 Troubled Waters (Take 2)
- 7.17 My Old Flame
- The Early Forties Recordings (1940-1942)
- 8.1 You, You Darlin'
- 8.2 Jack the Bear
- 8.3 Ko-Ko (Take 1)
- 8.4 Ko-Ko (Take 2)
- 8.5 Morning Glory
- 8.6 So Far, So Good
- 8.7 Conga Brava
- 8.8 Concerto for Cootie
- 8.9 Me and You
- 8.10 Bojangles
- 8.11 Cotton Tail
- 8.12 Never No Lament
- 8.13 Blue Goose
- 8.14 Dusk (Take 1)
- 8.15 Dusk (Take 2)
- 8.16 Bojangles
- 8.17 A Portrait of Bert Williams
- 8.18 Blue Goose
- 8.19 Harlem Air-Shaft
- 8.20 At a Dixie Roadside Diner
- 8.21 All Too Soon
- 8.22 Rumpus in Richmond
- 8.23 My Greatest Mistake
- 9.1 Sepia Panorama (Take 1)
- 9.2 Sepia Panorama (Take 2)
- 9.3 There Shall Be No Night
- 9.4 In a Mellotone
- 9.5 Five O'Clock Whistle
- 9.6 Warm Valley
- 9.7 Pitter Panther Patter (Take 1)
- 9.8 Pitter Panther Patter (Take 2)
- 9.9 Body and Soul (Take 1)
- 9.10 Body and Soul (Take 2)
- 9.11 Body and Soul (Take 3)
- 9.12 Sophisticated Lady
- 9.13 Sophisticated Lady
- 9.14 Mr. J.B. Blues (Take 1)
- 9.15 Mr. J.B. Blues (Take 2)
- 9.16 The Flaming Sword (Take 1)
- 9.17 The Flaming Sword (Take 2)
- 9.18 The Flaming Sword (Take 3)
- 9.19 Warm Valley (Take 2)
- 9.20 Warm Valley (Take 3)
- 9.21 Across the Blues
- 9.22 Across the Blues
- 9.23 Chloe (Song of the Swamp)
- 10.1 I Never Felt This Way Before (Take 1)
- 10.2 I Never Felt This Way Before (Take 2)
- 10.3 Day Dream
- 10.4 Good Queen Bess
- 10.5 Good Queen Bess
- 10.6 That's the Blues, Old Man
- 10.7 Junior Hop (Take 1)
- 10.8 Junior Hop (Take 2)
- 10.9 Without a Song (Take 1)
- 10.10 Without a Song (Take 2)
- 10.11 My Sunday Gal
- 10.12 Mobile Bay (Take 1)
- 10.13 Mobile Bay (Take 2)
- 10.14 Linger Awhile (Take 1)
- 10.15 Linger Awhile (Take 2)
- 10.16 Charlie the Chulo (Take 2)
- 10.17 Charlie the Chulo
- 10.18 Charlie the Chulo (Take 1)
- 10.19 Lament for Javanette
- 10.20 Lament for Javanette (Take 1a)
- 10.21 A Lull at Dawn
- 10.22 A Lull at Dawn
- 10.23 A Lull at Dawn (Take 1a)
- 10.24 Ready Eddy (Take 1)
- 11.1 Ready Eddy
- 11.2 Ready Eddy
- 11.3 Ready Eddy (Take 2)
- 11.4 The Sidewalks of New York
- 11.5 Flamingo
- 11.6 The Girl in My Dreams Tries to Look Like You (Take 1)
- 11.7 The Girl in My Dreams Tries to Look Like You (Take 2)
- 11.8 Take the "A" Train
- 11.9 Jumpin' Punkins (Take 1)
- 11.10 Jumpin' Punkins (Take 2)
- 11.11 John Hardy's Wife
- 11.12 Blue Serge
- 11.13 After All
- 11.14 Dear Old Southland (Take 1)
- 11.15 Dear Old Southland (Take 2)
- 11.16 Solitude (Take 1)
- 11.17 Solitude (Take 2)
- 11.18 Bakiff
- 11.19 Are You Sticking? (Take 1)
- 11.20 Are You Sticking? (Take 2)
- 11.21 Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'
- 11.22 The Giddybug Gallop
- 11.23 Chocolate Shake
- 12.1 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Take 1)
- 12.2 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Take 2)
- 12.3 Clementine
- 12.4 The Brown-Skin Gal (In the Calico Gown)
- 12.5 Jump for Joy (Take 1)
- 12.6 Jump for Joy (Take 2)
- 12.7 Moon Over Cuba
- 12.8 Some Saturday
- 12.9 Subtle Slough
- 12.10 Menelik - The Lion of Judah (Take 1)
- 12.11 Menelik - The Lion of Judah (Take 2)
- 12.12 Poor Bubber
- 12.13 Squaty Roo
- 12.14 Passion Flower
- 12.15 Things Ain't What They Used to Be
- 12.16 Goin' Out the Back Way
- 12.17 Five O'Clock Drag
- 12.18 Rocks in My Bed
- 12.19 Bli-Blip
- 12.20 Chelsea Bridge
- 12.21 Brown Suede
- 12.22 Noir Bleu
- 12.23 "C" Blues
- 12.24 June
- 13.1 Raincheck
- 13.2 What Good Would It Do?
- 13.3 I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got (Take 1)
- 13.4 I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got (Take 2)
- 13.5 Chelsea Bridge
- 13.6 Perdido (Take 1)
- 13.7 Perdido (Take 2)
- 13.8 The "C" Jam Blues
- 13.9 Moon Mist (Take 1)
- 13.10 Moon Mist (Take 2)
- 13.11 What Am I Here For?
- 13.12 I Don't Mind (Take 1)
- 13.13 I Don't Mind (Take 2)
- 13.14 Someone
- 13.15 My Little Brown Book
- 13.16 Main Stem
- 13.17 Johnny Come Lately
- 13.18 Hayfoot, Strawfoot (Take 1)
- 13.19 Hayfoot, Strawfoot (Take 2)
- 13.20 Sentimental Lady (Take 1)
- 13.21 Sentimental Lady (Take 2)
- 13.22 A Slip of the Lip
- 13.23 Sherman Shuffle
- The Complete Mid-Forties Recordings (1944-1946)
- 14.1 I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues
- 14.2 I'm Beginning to See the Light (Take 1)
- 14.3 I'm Beginning to See the Light (Take 2)
- 14.4 Don't You Know I Care (Take 1)
- 14.5 Don't You Know I Care (Take 2)
- 14.6 I Didn't Know About You
- Four Selections From Black, Brown and Beige
- 14.7 Work Song
- 14.8 Come Sunday
- 14.9 The Blues
- 14.10 Three Dances
- 14.11 Carnegie Blues
- 14.12 Blue Cellophane
- 14.13 Mood to Be Wooed
- 14.14 (All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings
- 14.15 Kissing Bug
- 14.16 Everything But You
- 14.17 (Otto Make That) Riff Staccato
- 14.18 Prelude to a Kiss
- 14.19 Caravan
- 14.20 Black and Tan Fantasy
- 14.21 Mood Indigo
- 14.22 In a Sentimental Mood
- 15.1 It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
- 15.2 Sophisticated Lady
- 15.3 Tonight I Shall Sleep (With a Smile on My Face)
- 15.4 The Minor Goes Muggin'
- 15.5 I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (Take 1)
- 15.6 I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (Take 2)
- 15.7 Solitude
- 15.8 Frankie and Johnny
- 15.9 Jumpin' Room Only
- 15.10 Black Beauty
- 15.11 Every Hour on the Hour
- Four Selections From The Perfume Suite
- 15.12 Balcony Serenade
- 15.13 Strange Feeling
- 15.14 Dancers in Love
- 15.15 Coloratura (Take 2)
- 15.16 Coloratura (Take 1)
- 15.17 Things Ain't What They Used to Be
- 15.18 Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do
- 15.19 Come to Baby, Do!
- 15.20 I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So
- 15.21 Long, Strong and Consecutive
- 15.22 The Wonder of You
- 15.23 Tonk
- 15.24 Drawing Room Blues
- 16.1 Rockabye River
- 16.2 Suddenly It Jumped
- 16.3 Transblucency
- 16.4 Just Squeeze Me
- 16.5 Gathering in a Clearing
- 16.6 You Don't Love Me No More
- 16.7 Pretty Woman
- 16.8 Hey, Baby
- 16.9 (Back Home Again In) Indiana
- 16.10 Blue is the Night
- 16.11 Lover Man (Take 1)
- 16.12 Lover Man (Take 2)
- 16.13 Just You, Just Me
- 16.14 Beale Street Blues
- 16.15 Memphis Blues
- 16.16 St. Louis Blues
- 16.17 My Honey's Lovin' Arms
- 16.18 (I Don't Stand) A Ghost of a Chance (With You)
- 16.19 Swamp Fire
- 16.20 Royal Garden Blues
- 16.21 Esquire Swank
- 16.22 Midriff
- 17.1 Long, Long Journey
- 17.2 The One That Got Away
- 17.3 Gone With the Wind
- 17.4 Metronome All-Out
- The Seattle Concert (1952)
- 17.5 Skin Deep
- 17.6 How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me? (Sultry Serenade)
- 17.7 Sophisticated Lady
- 17.8 Perdido
- 17.9 Caravan
- 17.10 Harlem Suite
- 17.11 The Hawk Talks
- 17.12 Ellington Medley: Don't Get Around Much Anymore / In a Sentimental Mood / Mood Indigo / I'm Beginning to See the Light / Prelude to a Kiss / It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) / Solitude / I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
- 17.13 Jam With Sam
- The Three Sacred Concerts (1965 / 1968 / 1973)
- The First Concert of Sacred Music
- 18.1 In the Beginning God
- 18.2 Tell Me It's the Truth
- 18.3 Come Sunday
- 18.4 The Lord's Prayer
- 18.5 Come Sunday
- 18.6 Will You Be There? / Ain't But the One
- 18.7 New World A-Comin'
- 18.8 David Danced (Before the Lord With All His Might)
- 18.9 Ninety Nine Percent
- 18.10 My Mother, My Father and Love
- 18.11 New World A-Comin'
- 18.12 A Christmas Surprise
- 18.13 A Christmas Surprise
- The Second Sacred Concert
- 19.1 Praise God
- 19.2 Supreme Being
- 19.3 Heaven
- 19.4 Something 'Bout Believing
- 19.5 Almighty God
- 19.6 The Shepard
- 19.7 It's Freedom
- 19.8 Meditation
- 19.9 The Biggest and Busiest Intersection
- 19.10 T.G.T.T.
- 19.11 Don't Get Down on Your Knees to Pray Until You Have Forgiven Everyone
- 20.1 Father Forgive
- 20.2 Praise God and Dance
- The Third Sacred Concert
- 20.3 Introduction by Sir Colin Crowe
- 20.4 Introduction by Duke Ellington
- 20.5 The Lord's Prayer / My Love
- 20.6 Is God a Three-Letter Word for Love? (Part I)
- 20.7 Is God a Three Letter Word for Love? (Part II)
- 20.8 The Brotherhood
- 20.9 Hallelujah
- 20.10 Every Man Prays in His Own Language
- 20.11 Ain't Nobody Nowhere Nothin' Without God
- 20.12 The Majesty of God
- The Far East Suite
- 21.1 Tourist Point of View (Take 7)
- 21.2 Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah)
- 21.3 Isfahan (Take 1)
- 21.4 Depk
- 21.5 Mount Harissa
- 21.6 Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)
- 21.7 Agra
- 21.8 Amad (Take 3)
- 21.9 Ad Lib on Nippon
- 21.10 Tourist Point of View (Take 5)
- 21.11 Bluebird of Delhi (Mynah) (Take 8)
- 21.12 Isfahan (Take 2)
- 21.13 Amad (Take 5)
- The Last Recordings (1966-1973)
- The Popular Duke Ellington
- 22.1 Take the "A" Train
- 22.2 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
- 22.3 Perdido
- 22.4 Mood Indigo
- 22.5 Black and Tan Fantasy
- 22.6 The Twitch
- 22.7 Solitude
- 22.8 Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
- 22.9 The Mooche
- 22.10 Sophisticated Lady
- 22.11 Creole Love Call
- 22.12 Caravan
- 22.13 Wings & Things
- 22.14 Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
- The Jazz Piano
- 22.15 House of Lords
- 22.16 The Second Portrait of the Lion
- 22.17 Take the "A" Train
- The Duke at Tanglewood
- 22.18 Caravan
- 22.19 Mood Indigo
- 22.20 Love Scene
- 23.1 The Mooche
- 23.2 I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
- 23.3 I'm Beginning to See the Light
- 23.4 Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
- 23.5 Sophisticated Lady
- 23.6 Timon of Athens March
- 23.7 Solitude
- 23.8 I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
- 23.9 Satin Doll
- 23.10 Single Petal of a Rose
- ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
- 23.11 Snibor
- 23.12 Boo-Dah
- 23.13 Blood Count
- 23.14 U.M.M.G.
- 23.15 Charpoy
- 23.16 After All
- 23.17 The Intimacy of the Blues
- 23.18 Raincheck (Take 6)
- 23.19 Raincheck (Take 4)
- 23.20 Day Dream
- 23.21 Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note
- 24.1 All Day Long
- 24.2 Lotus Blossom (Take 1)
- 24.3 Lotus Blossom
- 24.4 Smada (Take 3)
- 24.5 Smada (Take 4)
- 24.6 Midriff
- 24.7 My Little Brown Book
- 24.8 Acht O'Clock Rock
- Eastbourne Performance
- 24.9 The Piano Player
- 24.10 Creole Love Call
- 24.11 Don't You Know I Care
- 24.12 I Can't Get Started With You
- 24.13 New York, New York
- 24.14 Pitter Panther Patter
- 24.15 How High the Moon
- 24.16 Basin Street Blues
- 24.17 Tiger Rag
- 24.18 Soso
- 24.19 Meditation
- 24.20 Mecuria, the Lion
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1 Issue
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The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973) [p] Box Set, Limited Edition, Remastered
3 Reviews
A word about the American Renaissance of the 20th Century. Just like the European Renaissance that began with Michelangelo and concluded with Mozart, the United States say a renaissance as well. In fact, just sticking to the 20th century could be selling it short, given that it leaves out the artistic talents of Stephen Foster, Henry Thoreau, Mark Twain, and others, but for the sake of argument, no country, NONE contributed more to the written, painted, sculpted, or musical arts, than The United States in the 20th century. And right in the middle of it, was The Duke. He didn't start it, but he may have perfected the music that began in New Orleans with Armstrong, Oliver, and others. He did however, give the music sophistication. He took what Robert Johnson and Blind Melon gave us, and polished the edges, and presented it to the world. Duke Ellington is quite simply, one of the 5 most important artists of the American Renaissance. And yeah, he's right up there with those cats in Italy, France, Germany and Austria as far as what will endure, and what has inspired. This behemoth of a box set is all the proof you need, and mind you, it only covers the first half of what Duke was up too. The geniuses refuse to fall back on what they know. Instead, they grow, and Duke grew the music, this wonderful, incredible American music for 50 years. Without Duke, there's no Miles, or Mingus. There's no Swing era, there's no fucking Rock and Roll! There's nothing. His music is that important. Check it out, and hand it down to your children. It's vital that you do!
Published
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Far from a complete collection of everything that Duke recorded during his long career, this RCA Victor collection is nevertheless staggeringly large. Consisting of just about everything Duke Ellington and his Orchestra recorded for RCA Victor, including unreleased takes of many pieces, this is enough to keep a person actively busy for a month of intense listening. A true history of Jazz, this collection reflects the shifts in sound and style undergone by Ellington's band throughout his career and the careers of many of his longtime band members. 1927 to 1973, wow. If you weren't struck by the sheer magnitude and quality of Ellington's discography listening to his post WWII studio albums and the like, this should fill some gaps. The greatest American bandleader of all time.
I am rating this for the pre-LP era singles.
I am rating this for the pre-LP era singles.
Published
Much as I love the Duke, this has almost brought me to my knees! 24 cd's. Well, "almost", I said. Onwards, Christian soldiers!!
Published
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