Track Listing 1. Things Ain't What They Used to Be 2. C-Jam Blues, The 3. Chelsea Bridge 4. Back Home Again in Indiana 5. Just Squeeze Me 6. Blue Is the Night 7. Everything But You 8. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart 9. Frankie and Johnny 10. I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So 11. Rockabye River 12. Jumpin' Room Only 13. You Don't Love Me No More 14. Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note 15. Jubilee Stomp 16. My Old Flame 17. After All 18. All Day Long
Performers include: Duke Ellington (piano); The Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Recorded between 1928 and 1967. Includes liner notes by Stephanie Stein.
This is part of the RCA Victor Greatest Hits series.
This set lives up to its title. MORE GREATEST HITS compiles The Duke's best-known tunes (and those of his right-hand man Billy Strayhorn), along with a few pop standards that he didn't write ("Blues in the Night," "My Old Flame"). This material was recorded on a label with which Ellington had a very long, on-and-off relationship, from 1928 to 1967.
Most of these songs are pop and jazz standards, recorded by hundreds of artists. MORE GREATEST HITS includes the '20s "hot jazz" stylings of "Jubilee Stomp"; the elegant, romantic "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"; and the rich, thoughtful orchestration of "Chelsea Bridge." The Duke not only survived the passing of the Big Band era; he thrived (note "All Day Long," from 1967). Though this CD includes no personnel listing, the Ellington band had been the home to some of the greatest soloists in the history of jazz--Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster and Jimmy Hamilton, to name three. If you are looking for a good introduction to Ellington, or want a sampler of some classic big band jazz (with a few piano trio cuts for good measure), pick up this collection.
