Duke Ellington - The Great Paris Concert (2LP)
Duke Ellington (piano) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Duke Ellington]
Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, Cootie Williams (trumpet)
Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors (trombone)
Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges (saxophone)
Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope (clarinet, saxophone)
Ray Nance (violin, cornet), Ernie Shephard (bass), Sam Woodyard (drums), Milt Grayson (vocals)
Written by Duke Ellington (A1, A3, A5, B1, B2, B3, C4, C5, D1, D2, D3), Harry Carney (A1), Irving Mills (A1), Dorothy Fields (A2), Jimmy McHugh (A2), Billy Strayhorn (A3), Gerald Marks (A4), Seymour Simons (A4), Jimmy Hamilton (B2), Strayhorn (B3, C2), Ervin Drake (C1), H.J. Lengsfelder (C1), Juan Tizol (C1), Ross Gorman (C3), Edgar Leslie (C3), Harry Warren (C3)
2 LPs, gatefold sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Live
Record Press : Pallas
Label : Pure Pleasure Records
Original Label : Atlantic
Recorded Feb 1 – Feb 23, 1963 at The Olympia Theatre, Paris, France
Produced by Nesuhi Ertegun
Originally released in 1973
Re-mastering by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London
Reissued in 2010
Tracks :
Side A :
Side B :
Side C :
Side D :
Reviews :
« This set came about, in part, as a result of Ellington's signing to Frank Sinatra's Reprise label in November 1962, with the ending of his exclusive contract to Columbia. Six numbers from the three Paris dates were initially edited and released by Reprise as part of the ten-song Duke Ellington's Greatest, but the bulk of the performances from those shows didn't surface until many years later as The Great Paris Concert on two LPs. The Great Paris Concert is raw and largely unedited, and depicts the full Ellington band in extraordinary form, oozing excitement -- from the saxophone showcase on opener "Rockin' in Rhythm," the various sections of the band take flight at different points throughout this set, which includes such contemporary numbers as Ellington's theme music for an all but forgotten television series, The Asphalt Jungle, and excerpts from Such Sweet Thunder. Johnny Hodges is showcased in several solos, most notably on "Suite Thursday," a work whose original studio incarnation he missed appearing on. Cootie Williams ("Tutti for Cootie"), Paul Gonsalves ("Cop Out"), Ray Nance ("Bula"), and Cat Anderson ("Jam with Sam") get their own moments in the spotlight. » AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder
Ratings :
Allmusic : 4.5 / 5