Ellington Played by Ellington - plus Concert Review

The name of this record is straightforward: The Music of Duke Ellington Played by Duke Ellington. Last night we saw a concert by the Chicago Jazz Ensemble in a show dedicated to the works of Louis Armstrong (first set) and Duke Ellington (2nd set). Directed by bandleader Jon Faddis, the CJE is world class. They played songs that are on this record, such as Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me. Faddis noted the song was once called Cootie's Concerto, after trumpeter Cootie Williams, who played with Duke from 1929 to 1940. In a show-stopping performance at the end, Faddis tapped tenor saxophonist Pat Mallinger to step out front in the daunting role of Paul Gonsalves for a life-altering (mine), 25-minute send up of Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue. Intro-ing the song, Faddis correctly pointed out how at Newport in 1956 (album photo at right) Gonsalves played a groundbreaking and, according to the record's liner notes, riotous solo that covered 27 consecutive choruses. But if the CJE plays this exact show again, they must end with this house rocker, since nothing following it can work, which they tried with Satchmo's What a Wonderful World, which was a come-down.  Click on this post's title to hear and see Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue on youtube.