The Duke Ellington Treasury Series
, which was aired weekly during April-November 1945 and April-October 1946, was initially issued by
the Merritt Record Society
on LPs in the 1980s.
Storyville
, in its
DETS
series, has been not only bringing back all of the music in its two-fer series, but augmenting the broadcasts with other live
Ellington
performances from the era. All of these broadcasts are well-recorded and feature the underrated mid-'40s
orchestra in prime form. One has to sit through a few bond promos during each program, which are delivered a bit heavy-handedly, but the valuable music makes it well worth it. At the time, the
band had major soloists in trumpeters/cornetists
Rex Stewart
,
Taft Jordan
Cat Anderson
, and
Ray Nance
, trombonists
Tricky Sam Nanton
and
Lawrence Brown
Al Sears
on tenor, clarinetist
Jimmy Hamilton
, altoist
Johnny Hodges
, and baritonist
Harry Carney
, not to mention the leader on piano and fine singers in
Al Hibbler
Joya Sherrill
Kay Davis
; there is certainly no shortage in talent! The repertoire in the series includes
standards
, a few tunes that
Duke
never otherwise recorded, and extended works, including on this two-fer
"New World A-Comin'."
Other highlights of this set (which has two Treasury Show broadcasts from June 1945 and an October 1945 set from
the Zanzibar
) include fine versions of
"India,"
"Cotton Tail,"
"Let the Zoomers Drool,"
"Stompy Jones,"
"Body & Soul."
Duke Ellington
fans will want all of the entries in this extensive series. ~ Scott Yanow