Search - Duke Ellington :: Complete Legendary Fargo Concert

The One To Get..Essential Live Ellington With His Blanton We

Original Mixed Up-Kid | New York United States | 08/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know there is a box set at double the price but this 2 cd set on Definitive Records/Spain ia a knockout..great sound and licensed.. AMG loves this version as well.

The music is crucial for Ellington lovers..there are liner notes and it is nicely packaged and a bargain.

I am curious to see the longbox edition with booklet but have a feeling same tapes were used for this edition.Top ranking as far as sound and value."

Wake up, America!

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 03/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"America's greatest jazz musician performing his own music on his favorite instrument--his orchestra--and not just any edition of Duke's band but arguably his best, especially with the presence of bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor sax great, Ben Webster. What more could you ask for? An inspired performance? The band is tight and spirited thoughout this five-hour engagement. Faithful audio reproduction? The fidelity is miraculously close to being state of the art for a 1940 recording made on marginal equipment by hobbyists, Blanton's bass coming through with greater clarity than do the bass frequencies on some of the studio recordings Charlie Parker would make ten years later.



So why is this recording being all but ignored, even in jazz circles where news of a new on-location Coltrane or Monk discovery or the appearance of another Bird-Diz acetate manages to make waves even in the mainstream press? Unfortunately, as well known as Duke's popular songs are, his genius as a composer-orchestrator-band leader is poorly understood (despite the valiant efforts of Wynton Marsalis over the past two decades to educate the public).



Count this among Duke's 3-4 most important recordings, an absolutely essential pick-up for any Ellington fan or student of the evolution of this art form. Blanton's work on bass is a genuine revelation; Webster's solos on "Cottontail" and "Stardust" rival Coleman Hawkins' best work at the time; the horns of Johnny Hodges, Rex Stewart, and Harry Carney are heard to optimal effect; compositions like "Ko-Ko and "Harlem Air Shaft" are miniature masterpieces, microcosms of Ellington's cutting-edge genius that invite attentive and repeated listening to be fully grasped and appreciated.



Admittedly, there are a few trade-offs: the vocals of Ivy Anderson and Herb Jeffries are practically too faint to count; some of the numbers are incomplete or interrupted while the hobbyist-engineers quickly change acetate discs. On the other hand, the listener has a sense both of being on stage with the band, hearing Duke call off tunes, and of experiencing a continuous five-set performance by the band--a remarkable feat for a recording made in 1940.



Although an elaborate 60th anniversary edition of this concert is available on Storyville records, this Spanish import at half the price is professionally mastered and well documented. If you're new to Ellington, you might choose to pass up either recording for the time being. Start out with "Ellington at Newport," "Ellington Uptown," "Blue Rose," "Such Sweet Thunder" and 'The Nutcracker Suite." But don't dare end the relationship without spending a couple of fruitful hours with the Duke in Fargo, North Dakota."

The Ellington Band in Top Form

John Greenspan | Santa Fe, New Mexico USA | 06/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is wonderful to think that this was the popular music people listened to almost 70 years ago. Here we have the Duke Ellington Orchestra at its peak. Ray Nance had just joined the band and immediately made his presence felt on trumpet and violin. Jimmie Blanton was the first great bassist and Ellington uses him to great advantage. All the Ellington stars shine here including Lawrence Brown, Barney Bigard, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney to name a few. Of course, the sound is only fair but the greatness of the band comes through. A must for Ellington fans and recommended for all."