Duke Ellington - Flying Home
[CCD 79557]

£6.99

Track List:
1) Take the 'A' Train
2) Bensonality
3) All of Me
4) Bakiff
5) The Hawk Talks
6) Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
7) V.I.P.’s Boogie
8) Jam With Sam
9) Just A Sittin' And A Rockin'
10) Mood Indigo
11) Take the 'A' Train
12) Tulip Or Turnip
13) Ting-a-ling
14) Flamingo
15) Rockin' In Rhythm
16) Sophisticated Lady
17) Take the 'A' Train
18) Flying Home


Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke. As a musician, there has been no other artist quite like him. A few may have composed as much as Duke did: his expansive talent poured out more than five thousand compositions. No one else ever wrote so much music while leading a great orchestra for almost half a century through the non-stop grind of one-night concerts and dances in virtually every country in the world.

Duke and his Orchestra made three appearances at the Blue Note in Chicago in 1952 and on this occasion followed Louis Armstrong and the Allstars who had closed on July 24. This 1952 band was not too well represented in recordings and these marvellous airshots give us the chance to hear some of Duke’s more obscure compositions such as Bensonality, Bakiff, Tulip or Turnip and Ting-a-Ling as well as a unique tribute to Lionel Hampton in the perennial Flying Home.

This particular Ellington aggregation had a marvellous blend of exciting and talented soloists as well as great exuberance and drive in the ensembles:

Clark Terry, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Cat Anderson (trumpets); Quentin Jackson, Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman (trombones); Hilton Jefferson, Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney (saxes); Duke Ellington (piano); Wendell Marshall (bass); Louie Bellson (drums).