1932-1933

Personnel includes: Duke Ellington (arranger, piano); Ivie Anderson, Ray Mitchell, Adelaide Hall, Ethel Waters (vocals); Johnny Hodges (soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet); Harry Carney (alto & baritone saxophones, clarinet); Otto Hardwick (alto & bass saxophone); Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Barney Bigard (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Arthur Whetsol, Freddy Jenkins, Cootie Williams (trumpet); Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Lawrence Brown (trombone); Juan Tizol (valve trombone); Fred Guy (guitar); Wellman Braud (bass); Sonny Greer (drums).
The Mills Brothers: John Mills, Herbert Mills, Harry Mills, Donald Mills.
Recorded in New York, New York between 1932 and 1933. Includes liner notes by Anatol Schenker.
This is part of the Classics Chronological series.
Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); John H.R. Mills, Donald Mills, Ray Mitchell, Harry Mills, Ivie Anderson, Herbert Mills (vocals); Fred Guy (guitar, banjo); Johnny Hodges (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Harry Carney (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Barney Bigard (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Otto Hardwick (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone); Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins, Arthur Whetsol, Freddy Jenkins (trumpet); Lawrence D. Brown, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Lawrence Brown (trombone); Juan Tizol (valve trombone); Sonny Greer (drums).
Liner Note Author: Anatol Schenker.
Recording information: New York, NY (05/06/1932-01/07/1933).
Director: Duke Ellington.
Arrangers: Duke Ellington; Benny Carter .
DUKE ELLINGTON, 1932-1933 is part of the extensive, multi-volume Classics Chronological series released by Classics Records. Ellington's band is tightly rehearsed, flows effortlessly and plays one superb solo after another. This disc's second half includes several songs from the 1928 Broadway show BLACKBIRDS, and thus features vocals provided by cast members of the play, including Ethel Waters. Several superb extended Ellington piano solos, which make apparent the strong influence of the early ragtime players on his style, are a nice treat.
The bulk of this collection is made up of more "song-based" material, as Ellington had yet to pursue the more complex and ambitious compositional style of his later work. This wonderful music sets the stage for the Duke's more experimental recordings of the late '30s and early '40s.