Aural Fixations

DUKE ELLINGTON
Blues in Orbit
Piano in the Background
Piano in the Foreground
(Columbia/Legacy)
Legacy continues its salute to the great jazz big band leader, pianist and composer Duke Ellington by reissuing a trio of historically underappreciated releases. Blues in Orbit, recorded in the late 50s and originally issued in 1960, takes its title to heart, with pieces that definitely draw on the blues as a base. Ellington is, of course, a master as moving a large ensemble to his will, and he's in excellent form here. "C Jam Blues" (featuring a terrific violin solo from Ray Nance), Billy Strayhorn's "Sweet & Pungent" (what a title!) and the title cut (another Strayhorn gem) hit the "classic" category pretty easily in the hands of the Duke and his cohorts. This edition also contains a whopping eight bonus tracks: alternate takes of album cuts, a typically gorgeous "Sentimental Lady" and the lovely "Brown Penny." [buy it]

The title of 1960's Piano in the Background is a bit misleading, as Ellington's prominent tickling of the ivories sets the mood for every performance. With a program of mostly Ellington standards ("It Don't Mean a Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing]," "Take the 'A' Train"), often arranged by West Coast trumpeter Gerald Wilson, this is a record of familiar melodies and easy pleasures, as Ellington and his orchestra deliver an upbeat, skillful batch of tunes. Sounding like they're having more fun than a barrel of monkeys, the musicians take "Happy Go Lucky Local," "Mid-Riff" and a medley of "Kinda Dukish" and "Rockin' in Rhythm" into smile-inducing territory as soon as they're out of the gate. This version also includes a handful of bonus cuts, including a couple of takes on George Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland" and the previously unreleased "Harlem Air Shaft." [buy it]

1961's Piano in the Foreground is a delight from start to finish. The big band's greatest advocate strips down to a piano trio, joined only by drummer Sam Woodyard and bassists Aaron Bell or Jimmy Woode, for a set of standards and new originals. He sounds relaxed and surehanded on "Body and Soul" and Gershwin's "I Can't Get Started," and downright playful on an oddball arrangement of the classic (but over-covered) "Summertime." But, unsurprisingly, it's the originals on which Ellington truly shines, from the gorgeous "Fontainebleau Forest" to the jumpy "Cong-Go" to the aptly-named "Blues For Jerry." This edition adds several bonus tracks: "Lotus Blossom," an atmospheric new composition by Ellington's cohort Billy Strayhorn, a pair of takes on the chestnut "All the Things You Are" and, best of all, a quartet of performances featuring the Maestro improvising alone at the keyboard. The James P. Johnson-like "Piano Improvisation No. 4" is particularly wonderful. It's obvious from these releases that the Ellington catalog is a long way from being fully exploited. Michael Toland [buy it]