 |
DUKE ELLINGTON
Such Sweet Thunder (Columbia Legacy)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
On Such Sweet Thunder the Duke tipped his hat to the Bard in the best way he could, by creating a set of compositions which showed off the best of his band in the way that Shakespeare's plays give wing to the best performances of the best actors. Whether it's Britt Woodman demonstrating the essence of swing trombone on "Sonnet To Hank Ciq," the brilliant insanity of Cat Anderson's trumpet on "Madness In Great Ones" or Johnny Hodges being, well, Johnny Hodges on "The Star-Crossed Lovers," there are pleasures aplenty for fans of vintage Ellingtonia on this classic collection.
Columbia Legacy once again takes it a step further with another full album worth of out takes and alternate cuts, making this the indispensable version of a key album in the Ellington discography. If you don't have a copy of Such Sweet Thunder, take credit for waiting until just the right copy came along. If you do have it, well, you didn't wait long enough, because now you'll want to buy it again.
Track List:
Such Sweet Thunder (Cleo) * Sonnet For Caesar * Sonnet To Hank Cinq * Lady Mac * Sonnet In Search Of A Moor * The Telecasters * Up And Down, Up And Down (I Will Lead Them Up And Down) (Puck) * Sonnet For Sister Kate * The Star-Crossed Lovers (AKA Pretty Girl) * Madness In Great Ones (Hamlet) * Half The Fun (AKA Lately) * Circle Of Fourths * Bonus Tracks: The Star-Crossed Lovers (Stereo LP Master) * Circle Of Fourths (Stereo LP Master) * Suburban Beauty (Master Take) * A Flat Minor (Preferred Take) * Cafe Au Lait (Preferred Take) * Half The Fun (Alternate Take) * Suburban Beauty (Alternate Take) * A Flat Minor (Out Takes) * Cafe Au Lait (Out Takes - Mono) * Pretty Girl AKA The Star- Crossed Lovers (First Recording)
© 1999 - Shaun Dale