The Best of the Duke Ellington Centennial Edition

• Artist: Duke Ellington
• Rating:
• Release Date: April 13, 1999
• Total Time: 67:12
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Jazz

Review

This compilation of some of Ellington's most popular, enduring, and important RCA Victor sides from a period of 40 years (October 26, 1927, to August 30, 1967) consists of 18 tracks, drawn from the remastered tracks on BMG's 24-CD Ellington Centennial box. That's hardly enough to address the range of changes in Ellington's style, but it does give the casual listener a glimpse of that range -- "Mood Indigo" sounds light years beyond "Black and Tan Fantasy" or "East St. Louis Toodle-o," and it's only four tracks in, while the development of Ellington's musical language only got more sophisticated. So, this is a rushed history lesson, a handy "Monarch notes"-type look at the man's work. The producers have very shrewdly included the "Mood Indigo-Hot and Bothered-Creole Love Call" experimental long-play (for 1932) medley, clocking in at more than seven minutes, and presented here in stereo, one of the unique elements of the box, to wet the appetite of the budgetary-challenged. Otherwise, all of the expected bases are touched ("Take the 'A' Train," etc.), up through the soaring, lyrical "Come Sunday" from the First Concert of Sacred Music and the upbeat, energetic "Raincheck," from Ellington's 1967 memorial to Billy Stayhorn. As with the box, the sound is largely impeccable, with stunning delineating of the soloists' work and a rich, full texture to the ensemble sections. There's a little sloppiness in the annotation, which could've been cleaner, but this is a otherwise a handy mid-priced compilation and a worthy teaser for a monumental career survey. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Black and Tan Fantasy	Bubber Miley, Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:08)
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo	Bubber Miley, Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington	(3:37)
Rockin' in Rhythm	Irving Mills, Harry Carney, Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(2:55)
Mood Indigo/Hot and Bothered/Creole Love Call [Stero Version]	Irving Mills, Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(7:42)
My Old Flame	Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:21)
Jack the Bear	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:15)
Day Dream	Duke Ellington, John Latouche, Billy Strayhorn	Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington	(2:56)
Take the "A" Train (Lyrics)	Billy Strayhorn	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(2:54)
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)	Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:18)
Perdido	Ervin Drake, Juan Tizol, H.J. Lengsfelder	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:07)
Work Song [From Black, Brown & Beige]	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(4:34)
The Minor Goes Muggin'	Sy Oliver	Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra	(3:00)
Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)	Duke Ellington, Lee Gaines	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:18)
Long, Long Journey	Leonard Feather	Duke Ellington, Esquire All-Americans	(4:28)
Come Sunday	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:53)
Isfahan [Alternate Take]	Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(4:10)
Sophisticated Lady	Irving Mills, Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(3:01)
Rain Check	Billy Strayhorn	Duke Ellington & His Orchestra	(4:35)

Credits

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (Performer), Johnny Hodges (Performer), Esquire All-Americans (Performer), Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra (Performer)