DEMS BULLETIN
DUKE ELLINGTON MUSIC SOCIETY
11/1 April - July 2011
Our 33rd Year of Publication
FOUNDER: BENNY AASLAND
HONORARY MEMBER: FATHER JOHN GARCIA GENSEL
EDITOR: SJEF HOEFSMIT
ASSISTED BY: ROGER BOYES
|
THE INTERNATIONAL DEMS BULLETIN DUKE ELLINGTON MUSIC SOCIETY 11/1 April - July 2011 Our 33rd Year of Publication FOUNDER: BENNY AASLAND |
Voort 18b, 2328 Meerle, Belgium
Telephone: +32 3 315 75 83
Email: dems1@telenet.be
DISCUSSIONS
- ADDITIONS - CORRECTIONS
Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club
DEMS 11/1-12
See DEMS 10/3-8
This concerns your note in the latest Bulletin regarding the
"missing" non-vocal version of Lost In Meditation. I have an
entry in the old DESOR of July 5, 1938, NBC, which I also used on JAZZ PANORAMA
LP 14. I didn't use it this time for the double-CD as I got the impression that
this version in fact was a dub of Br 8083.
Maybe someone could listen to these two versions in tandem and confirm if they
are the same or in fact two very different versions.
Carl Hällström
The date of 5Jul38 in the old DESOR has been corrected in the meantime to
5May38 in The New DESOR. But that is of no importance. The recording of Lost
in Meditation on Jazz Panorama 14 is indeed identical with the studio
recording of 2Feb38. Session 3814 should be deleted.
DEMS
US Amazon is now taking pre-orders for the Storyville Cotton Club set at a
reasonable price. It's a great set. I ordered it from the UK and have been
listening to it a lot until it was replaced on my CD player by the Mosaic box
set. I do have a couple of questions about the Cotton Club set. Is that Harry
Carney playing a counterpoint to the orchestra from about the 1:40 to 2 minute
mark of Prelude in C Sharp Minor or some other instrument I can't
identify?
Also, Andrew when you write of Lawrence Brown making his way to the mike in Lost
in Meditation do you mean Juan Tizol?
Joe Medjuck
I cannot answer your first question. I think you are right with your remark about
Juan Tizol being the soloist in Lost in Meditation.
Sjef Hoefsmit
Harmony in Harlem on Youtube
DEMS 11/1-13
21Mar11. Just wanted you to know that I'm in the middle of uploading a
dozen or so videos to Youtube of my Harmony In Harlem orchestra playing in
Cambridge for a charity fund-raising ball a couple of weeks ago.
You can find all the videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/HarmonyInHarlem
I'm afraid the sound quality really isn't that good at all, compared to the
picture quality. It's a *very* resonant, high-ceilinged venue and the
reverberation on the videos doesn't make for ideal listening! It's very
indistinct and echoey.
So far I've uploaded Serious Serenade, Harlem Air Shaft, Rose of the Rio
Grande. The rest is in progress as I write.
Michael Kilpatrick
Six or Seven Times
DEMS 11/1-14
I have a problem with Six or Seven Times, DESOR 2917.
Almost every discographer in the world, for example Alexandre Rado, Eddie
Lambert, Dick Bakker and Steven Lasker, and numerous sleeve note writers claim
it is Freddie Jenkins playing the trumpet and singing. But New DESOR claims it
is Cootie Williams.
I can find no correction sheet about this recording so I assume it has never
been up for discussion. Which opinion do you feel is the correct one?
Bo Haufman
In fact a correction has been made. See DEMS 98/1-16 (wrongly paged as
97/4-16). In a group of corrections on the booklet that came with the Decca GRD
3-640, 3 CD set, Steven Lasker wrote:
"p.19: The date of the first "Six Jolly Jesters" session should
read Friday, October 25, 1929; every reference to Jenkins (who wasn't on the
date) should be changed to credit trumpeter/vocalist Cootie Williams (who was).
(Thanks to Brooks Kerr who convinced me of my error on this point.)"
This confirmation of the date and the correction in the personnel came nicely
in time for the publication of The New DESOR in 1999. That's why you will not
find a correction on this session.
DEMS
Portrait of the Lion
DEMS 11/1-15
In my review of Timner's fifth edition of "Ellingtonia" (DEMS
09/2-4), I stated that "Portrait of the Lion mx. WM1006-2 (21Mar39)
was first issued on French Swing, not Brunswick as Timner indicates." That
statement, which was accepted as correct both by Timner (DEMS 09/3-4) and the
DESOR team (DEMS 10/1-28), may well be in error. While this take doesn't appear
on any copy of the U.S. Brunswick that I've ever heard of, the first issue is
likely Parlophone D.P 288, as per many discographies. My copy of D.P. 288 is
dubbed from take two (it's an excellent dub) and bears "WM 1006-1A"
stamped in the run-out groove area. My copy of Swing SW. 307 is also dubbed
from take two (it's a very poor dub) and bears "M3-118330" and
"OSW 579-1" in the run-out groove area; the label shows "OSW.579
(WM1006). Until the actual release dates are found for both issues, I don't
suppose it's prudent for me or anyone else to dispute the accepted wisdom that
the Parlophone issue was the first release of this take.
Steven Lasker
This means that the small correction, mentioned in Bulletin 10/1-28 (p41)
should be withdrawn.
DEMS
October/November 1950
Ellington-Strayhorn piano duets
DEMS 11/1-16
See DEMS 10/3-15
Brian Koller is right, the Cabu (not Capu...) CD has the correct pitch, it was
made with a 440 diapason.
Claude Carrière
RCA Victor sessions of May45
DEMS 11/1-17
In May 1945, Ellington's orchestra recorded new versions of some of their
best-selling classic songs for RCA Victor. Many of the selections went unreleased
until the early 1950s, when they appeared on U.S. Victor and/or English HMV.
Some titles appeared on both labels, and there's been some question as to which
issues are the originals. The answer is found by reference to dealer's
numerical catalogs which I have recently inspected, an RCA catalog from 1951
(courtesy of Ken Swerilas) and an HMV catalog from 1951-52 (courtesy of the
Institute of the American Musical).
The RCA Victor catalog shows that eight of the titles were released in July
1951 on "A Treasury of Immortal Performances: Duke Ellington's
Greatest" in two formats, 7-inch 45 rpm singles (in four-disc set WPT 11,
consisting of records 27-0054/55/56/57 and priced at $3.75) and a 12" 33
1/3 rpm LP (LPT 1004, priced at $4.00). [See The New DESOR page 1408].
The HMV catalog shows that 78 rpm single J.O. 243 was also released in July
1951, while J.O. 249 was released in April 1952. I found no release dates for
the other HMV J.O.-series issues by Ellington, but presume they were released
at some later date.
Steven Lasker
Skin Deep
DEMS 11/1-18
On <http://www.depanorama.net/desor/1068.pdf> Skin Deep is
9044a, released on Co ML-4639. Co ML-4639 is listed by Mr. Aasland in Wax Works
1954 (record 944) as being the same as the 78rpm Philips label P.B.243, 2 sides,
that has additional numbers AA21204-2H-1 and AA21204-1H-1. Mr. Aasland dated it
August 10, 1952. The 78 is mentioned in Lambert (page 166) as well.
Nielsen gives the date as Aug.12, 1952. Jepsen doesn't mention the 78 release
(unless I'm misreading him).
My question is: if the LP and the 78 versions are the same recording, how was
the transition from side 1 to side 2 done? Did side 1 just fade out, with side
2 starting with a few repeated bars? That was done with Happy Go Lucky Local,
if I recall correctly. Do you know if they did that with Skin Deep?
David Palmquist
The recordings are indeed the same.
The LP version (the long recording) being the original one, has no interruption
or anything.
The 78 rpm Philips PB 243, side 1 ends just after 4°(nc)8BAND. Only one drumbeat
by LBe can be heard (not even a bar) of the following lib208LBe. There are no
repeated bars. Side 2 starts with lib208LBe.
DEMS
CDs on Amazon
DEMS 11/1-19
In perusing the Amazon listings I came across a couple of items I didn't
know existed on CD: The Unknown Session and a set from the Rainbow Grill 1967. Has
anyone heard the latter and is it worth getting? (I've already received the
former which I used to have on LP and always liked).
Joe Medjuck
We have on Moon Records MCD049-2 a session at the Rainbow Grill from 17Aug67.
See DEMS 93/4-2. The quality is fine. Our "Unknown Session" is on CBS
467180-2. Hoefsmit reported this CD to Benny Aasland, but to our surprise it
has never been mentioned in DEMS Bulletin. It has the 12 selections from the
recording session of 14Jul60, previously released on LP CBS 82819 (see DEMS
79/3-2), which is the same as Columbia JC-35342, (see The New DESOR page 1336).
DEMS
Duke Ellington - Reminiscing in Tempo
DEMS 11/1-20
Does anyone know anything about this DVD? I just came across this on Amazon:
<http://www.amazon.com/Ellington-Duke-Reminiscing-Tempo/dp/B004D0AMR4/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1294452246&sr=1-3>
Beverly Richardson
Filmmaker Gary Keys crafts a compelling tribute to late jazz icon Duke
Ellington in this companion piece to Keys' 1980 documentary "Memories of
Duke", which combines unseen clips captured during the famous pianist and
bandleader's 1968 Mexican tour with footage and interviews shot at sister Ruth
Ellington's annual birthday celebration. Though fans know well that the man
known as Duke never celebrated his own birthday, ever since his death in 1974
sister Ruth has made up for lost time by hosting an annual gathering in which
friends, family and former bandmates all gather for a yearly birthday bull
session. In addition to offering a closer look at the beloved jazz master, this
lovingly-crafted documentary also features an original suite that was never
commercially recorded.
Jason Buchanan
The DVD is only available in "region 1" (Canada and USA). In Europe
we hope for a release for our region (region 0 or 2).
DEMS
Columbia Black, Brown and Beige
DEMS 11/1-21
See DEMS 99/4-18/1
Some people may have already noticed that
Sony Legacy have recently reissued this CD. On initial inspection, the only
difference from the Phil Schaap-produced centennial edition is that they've
saved money by omitting the 28-page booklet!
However, there are two discrepancies in track timings, one of which seems to a
mere clerical error. On the other hand, track 14 (which is the rehearsal take
of the 23rd Psalm) differs because the first 1'18" is missing on the new
reissue, presumably for digital reasons, so the timing shown accurately
reflects this.
Brian Priestley
Unidentified AFRS version of Take The "A" Train
DEMS 11/1-22
See DEMS 10/3-20
I purchased the ten-CD Radio Archives' "Date with the Duke" set. Each
CD has two complete 30" entries in the long-running Armed Forces Radio
Service DWTD series. There are numerous discrepancies between the content of
the CDs and the New DESOR descriptions of their counterpart 16" LPs:
DWTD-03, New DESOR Disc 0016 [on page 1289], ends with a partial 4511o.
DWTD-04 and DWTD-05, New DESOR Discs 0017 and 0018, both open with 4515a
instead of 4511a.
DWTD-65, New DESOR Disc 0075, ends with a partial 4546t.
Many DWTD discs open and/or close with a specific performance of Take The
"A" Train, that, for convenience, I will refer to as X. The New DESOR
consistently but incorrectly states X is 4511a. 4511a is a brief theme version,
but X is full-length, although always cut off at various points by the AFRS
radio engineer.
Within the 10 CD box set, X is present at the beginning of DWTD shows 6, 7, 8,
9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22, 65, 74, and 76. It is present at the end of DWTD shows
5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 16.
To aid comparisons, I have copied the most complete version of X from the CD box
set to
http://filmsgraded.com/duke/01.mp3
.
I have not been able to identify X. It is distinguished by a dull clank
noise from Sonny Greer's drum kit at 0:17. Comparing X with the full-length New
DESOR versions through 1945, there are 11 listed, of which I have eight. Of the
remaining, DE4106b is a studio recording, and DE4204a has no piano intro, so
that leaves DE4212b from 21Jul42, or else (more likely) it is a version
unlisted in New DESOR.
While listening to random Ellington recordings on my iPod, I came across the X
version of Take The "A" Train referred to in my earlier email.
It is 4582a. Only a snippet of 4582a is found on The Treasury Shows CD Vol. 6,
and presumably the same snippet is on AFRS ONS-763 (which I don't have a copy
of). A longer version is on Joyce LP-1066 [which contains the complete
broadcast ONS 763. The same broadcast, ONS 763, New DESOR session 4582 is on
the CD DETS Volume 8 but now without the opening theme.]
The version found on the AFRS DWTD series referred to as X, taken from the
Radio Archives Date with the Duke box set is the "long" version (yet
still truncated) of the 4582a Take the "A" Train from the
Treasury Shows Volume 6 double CD. It is track 5 on the second CD, a 17 seconds
truncation. The New DESOR revision correctly identifies this version under Disc
0862 on Correction-sheet 3016 as 4582a. The New DESOR description for 4582a,
int4DE;1°BAND, is apparently based on the ONS-763 snippet. It appears that
4582a (long version referred to as X) was never included on any of the 48 DETS
LPs.
Brian Koller
The complete version was described correctly in the old Desor Volume 5 page 154
for 315a: intro4DE;1°BAND;2°20RN,(%). Our Italian friends listened to the AFRS
"Date with the Duke" broadcast and they must have assumed that this
was the same as what was recorded on 7Apr45 for the first Treasury Show.
Sjef Hoefsmit
PARIS BLUES — Discoveries and Corrections
DEMS 11/1-23
The DESOR small corrections in DEMS 10/3-24 (for page 1064) are surprising
and confusing.
They certainly need clarification because for DE6108 we now have: the structure
descriptions in the New DESOR, Correction Sheet 1101 and the Small Corrections
in DEMS 10/3-24.
Which one is correcting which?
Obviously changes and additions are due to the attentive exploration of the
"Paris Blues" film now on DVD [see 09/1-11] and so we finally
discover that the music issued on LP+CD as the film's "original
soundtrack" is largely different from what we hear in the movie and often was
not used for the film.
In his book Klaus Stratemann wrote on page 434:
"... a comparison of session recordings against the soundtrack and LPs
would be futile". And he already asked the right question for DESOR
session 6108 (we ask again): are the DESOR entries deduced from the soundtrack?
or are they based on direct information? and/or listening to a hitherto
unavailable source? [See the answer by Luciano Massagli at the end of this
contribution.]
Stratemann nevertheless offered a "SOUNDTRACK RUNDOWN" on page 430,
and then (starting on page 431) a long list of "RECORDING SESSIONS". Once
again we only can admire his findings/descriptions 20 years ago !!, but trying
something similar today we can observe some discrepancies which are worth
discussing and underlining.
I isolated and extracted the musical parts from the film as shown on French TV
and now available on DVD (although I'm unable to delete the dubbed-over talking
and general film noises) and following Klaus' list on page 430 I have obtained
the herein attached rundown with 26 tracks.
The comparison offers some interesting insights/clarifications and, confronted
with the different descriptions in DESOR, Small Corrections and Correction
Sheets, leads into the following remarks:
- most of the recordings issued on the &quoot;Original Soundtrack"
LP are NOT USED in the film.
- the Unidentified Title in position 9 and 16 on Stratemann's list (1:40 + 0'17
respectively) is in fact Lay‑Bye from Duke's Suite Thursday, here
performed mainly by French tenor-sax Guy Lafitte (thanks to Jean Portier for
identification)
- Autumnal Suite in the film runs for some 6 min and must be a
mix of 6108b, xb and g, because DESOR
has a total of 19 choruses for this title !!
- Nite = Paris Blues: I think we havve 6108xa in the first part of the
film (Stratemann position 7) with no trombone but with CA at the end. The film
has another Nite = Paris Blues in its last part (position 20) and this
6108 sounds like a mix made from 6108a, xa and possibly even other parts.
- Battle Royal has over-dubs differeent on LP and during film: listen for
instance to the first 8LA.
- the short Paris Blues p-rehearsal in position 14 is possibly 9076d
(see Correction-sheet 1093)
Klaus Götting
Answer by Luciano Massagli:
The first parts of the 6108xa and xb
tracks are the same as the new structure written in the small corrections of
December 2010.
The corrections are deduced from the sound track. When the film was recently
issued by United Artists we have listened again carefully to the sound track and
because we realized that we made some mistakes in the descriptions we have
prepared the corrections included in DEMS 10/3-24.
The session 6036 is deleted: The Clothed Woman is in reality 6024d, with
the new description as from DEMS 10/3-24, Sophisticated Lady and Paris
Blues are not by Ellington.
Luciano Massagli
"Paris Blues" film SOUNDTRACK RUNDOWN
(with supposed recording dates and New DESOR entries) to be compared with
Klaus Stratemann page 430
A Train (AB or BS supervise) nov60 %1:53 (IIa)
Paris Blues theme -tb 6108 ? 02may61 0:49 (Va)
Wild Man Moore 14dec60 2:17 (IIIa)
Sophisticated Lady possibly 6036a dec60 0:48 (IVA)
Mood Indigo 6024g 21jul60 3:03 (Ia)
Nite = Paris Blues 6108xa 02may61 4:50 (V)
Blue Danube solo -p not DE dec60 0:37
Lay-By (= Unidentified) nov60 1:39% (IIb)
Autumnal Suite 6108xb 02may61 6:03 (V)
Sophisticated Lady nov60 2:13 (Ia) or (IIc)
Birdie Jungle = Guitar Amour 6108d 02may61 1:53% (V)
Paris Stairs 6108xc 02may61 3:07% (V)
Paris Blues (p-reh) possibly 9076d 14dec60 0:16 (IVc)
Paris Blues 6108f 02may61 1:48 (V)
Lay-By (= Unidentified) nov60 %0:17 (IIb)
Brief LA -tp 14dec60 0:06 (III)
Wild Man Moore 14dec60 0:37 (IIIb)
Battle Royal 9076e 14dec60 4:16 (IIIc)
Paris Blues -g -p not DE nov60 0:57 (IVb)
Nite = Paris Blues (mix) 6108 ? 02may61 5:40 (V)
Clothed Woman 6024d 21jul60 1:45 (IVd) or (Vc)
Guitar Amour (-g) not DE dec60 %1:01 (IIId)
Unidentified (PG) 60 1:18 (Ib)
Paris Blues -p fragm % 6024a 21jul60 0:22 (IVc) or (Vb)
Paris Blues -p fragm % 6024a 21jul60 0:44 (IVc) or (Vb)
Paris Blues finale % 6108i 02may61 4:24 (V)