After my post last week on 16 jazz geniuses, I predictably received a flood of emails asking why Duke Ellington was missing from my list. As I explained, while Duke was exceptional, his piano didn't change the direction of jazz nor did a school emerge that emulated his approach. But the emails did give me pause. Perhaps Duke's influence was more subliminal, I thought. That's when it came to me. Ellington's genius was beauty and greater artistic self-worth. Prior to Ellington in the late 1920s, jazz was largely frantic, syncopated dance music befitting the time. By the early 1930s and the onset of the Depression, the Ellington band was producing elegant, sensual jazz unlike any other band had previously. The results crossed over to the mainstream, awakening all audiences glued to the radio. Early examples of his jazz-changing beauty include Mood Indigo (1930), Sophisticated Lady (1933), (In My) Solitude (1934) and In a Sentimental Mood (1935), among others.
In addition, Ellington created impressionistic works that cast Harlem not as a cartoonish enclave or the nocturnal playground of wealthy white couples but a neighborhood of families, a romantic place of poetic beauty and an area with its own intelligentsia and artists. In effect, Ellington is the start of cosmopolitan soul. Early Ellington songs that celebrated Black culture and Harlem included Black and Tan Fantasy (1927), Harlem River Quiver (1927), Ebony Rhapsody (1934) and Echoes of Harlem (1936). They not only captured Harlem life instrumentally but also gave Black jazz musicians and Harlem residents a sense of pride and self-worth.
So Ellington's genius was spiritual, combining orchestral syncopation with the soul of the Black church and community. His works rubbed off on many Black and white jazz artists who then incorporated beauty and grace into their own works. His music lives in all serious jazz composers to this day. I have added him to the list in the original post with a clip.
Speaking of Ellington, Storyville Records has just released Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Berlin 1959, a terrific live album with great sound and luxurious music. Partially released in past years on shabby bootlegs, this album gives us the concert with a warm, pristine remaster. Don't cherry-pick songs when listening. The only way to enjoy this album is by listening from start to finish. Only then can you absorb the depth of the Ellington band's full spectrum of moods and the Duke's piano. Be aware that tracks 17 to 27 are part of an Ellington medley, not full songs.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Berlin 1959 (Storyville) here.
JazzWax clip: Here's Such Sweet Thunder...
Here's Creole Love Call...
And here's The Mooche...