Product Description:
Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Cat Anderson, Willie Cook (trumpet); Lawrence Brown (trombone); Norris Turney (flute); Wild Bill Davis (organ); Victor Gaskin, Paul Kondziela, Joe Benjamin, John Lamb (bass); Rufus Jones (drums).
Recorded in New York, New York and Las Vegas, Nevada on March 15, 1967 and June 7 & 15, 1970. Originally released on Fantasy (9640). Includes original release liner notes by Stanley Dance.
Digitally remastered by Phil De Lancie (1991, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California).
Though Duke Ellington is justifiably legendary for leading the best and longest-lasting big band in jazz history, he often recorded and occasionally performed with small bands as well. Since Ellington would often lead a small group through newly-written material to test it out before creating big band arrangements, the 11 tracks here, recorded in three sessions with four-to-eight-player lineups, are basically demos.
The first six tracks, recorded in 1967 and known in toto as both "Combo Suite" and "Hi Fi Fo Fum," are impressionistic pieces named after and recalling geographic locales, such as the bluesy "Kentucky Avenue, A.C." and the gospel-tinged "Soul Country." By contrast, the three downright funky tracks recorded in Las Vegas in early 1970, with their unusual two-bass-organ-piano-brass lineup, strongly recall the Jimmy Smith-style soul jazz that was in fashion at the time. To the very end of his career, Ellington never stopped exploring and expanding upon current musical trends.
