Search - Various Artists :: Impulsively Ellington

This two-CD set is among the most compelling of the centenary tributes to Ellington, drawing on sessions produced by Bob Thiele for Impulse between 1961 and 1966. The period now looks like a golden age for jazz, when veterans like Benny Carter and Ben Webster were still vital and the young Freddie Hubbard and McCoy Tyner were in their first creative bloom. Thiele, unlike many, clearly had his ears open to both the jazz tradition and its new voices. The result here is a kaleidoscopic representation of Ellington's compositions. There are seldom-heard tunes (like "Chocolate Shake" and "Island Virgin," arranged for big bands by Wayne Shorter and Oliver Nelson, respectively) as well as the best-known ballads and swing anthems. "Mood Indigo" receives contrasting performances, one featuring Johnny Hodges's rapturous alto, the other Charles Mingus's pensive bass. Ellington contemporaries like Earl Hines and clarinetist Pee Wee Russell show up, separately and together, in a nest of Ellingtonians that includes Hodges and drummer Sonny Greer for a superb "Black and Tan Fantasy." While the stylistic range is broad and the groups range from piano trio to the full Ellington band (sans Duke), this doesn't feel like a sampler. Thiele clearly had his favorite musicians (and exceptional taste--pianist Hank Jones and bassist Richard Davis appear several times as sidemen), and the frequent presence of Ellington veterans like Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, and Lawrence Brown, each with his trademark sound, adds a special unity to the two discs. Amidst some timeless performances--Russell's "Prelude to a Kiss" and Webster's "Single Petal of a Rose" stand out even here--there are also two distinct touches of the '60s. Guitarist Gabor Szabo overdubs sitar on "Caravan," linking surf (it was a hit for the Ventures) and psychedelia with Ellington's exotica, while Archie Shepp's version of "In a Sentimental Mood" invokes the furies of free jazz before settling into a haunting breathiness. The set wisely omits Ellington's own inspired Impulse collaborations, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane and Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins, which should be savored in their complete form.--Stuart Broomer