mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (05/01/85)
Duke Ellington would have been 85 yesterday, April 30. The fascinating thing about that factoid is that in the 10+ years since his death more interesting, never before released pieces have been issued than most composers put out in a lifetime, from the playful GIRLS SUITE to the rocking Paul Gonsalves feature to the austere QUEEN'S SUITE. Just another proof that, even when 10 years dead, Ellington towers over every other composer and bandleader around. The man could do anything, and excel at it. His music effortlessly assumes the aristocratic sophistication of the man himself. Never has a nickname better fit a person. Duke Ellington was not just a genius, he was one regal human being. Marcel Simon
chb@telesis.UUCP (Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk) (05/07/85)
> Duke Ellington would have been 85 yesterday, April 30. The fascinating > thing about that factoid is that in the 10+ years since his death > more interesting, never before released pieces have been issued > than most composers put out in a lifetime, from the playful GIRLS > SUITE to the rocking Paul Gonsalves feature to the austere QUEEN'S SUITE. > Just another proof that, even when 10 years dead, Ellington towers > over every other composer and bandleader around. The man could do anything, > and excel at it. His music effortlessly assumes the aristocratic > sophistication of the man himself. Never has a nickname better fit > a person. Duke Ellington was not just a genius, he was one regal human being. > > Marcel Simon Thank you, Marcel, for noting the presence and passing of one of the U.S.'s greatest composers and musicians. I would stack this man's writing up against any 20th century composer of note. In addition, I heartily recommend reading his autobiography, "Music Is My Mistress". The man could write almost as well as he could compose. After finishing this book, one comes away with the taste of the joie de vivre that powered this great artist. My favorites out of my dozen or so D.E. albums? For his arranging - the Columbia "Masterpieces" album of 1952, with the "Mood Indigo Suite": For his piano playing (he was one of the undermentioned GREAT jazz pianists) - "Money Jungle", formerly on World Pacific Jazz (a jazz trio with Mingus & Roach in which Duke plays as out as any of them!). "We love you madly, Edward Kennedy Ellington!" Charlie Berg {linus, decvax}!wanginst!ucadmus!telesis!chb the "