Duke Ellington, Raconteur Extraordinaire (Podcast #19-005)

Duke Ellington was an extraordinary master of ceremonies who reveled in the spoken word….
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The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



 

pasadena 1953

Monologue (Pretty and the Wolf)  (CD: “The 1953 Pasadena Concert” Vogue 600105)

Recorded 20 March 1953, Pasadena California

Duke Ellington – narrator; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope – clarinet; Harry Carney – bass clarinet; Wendell Marshall – bass; Butch Ballard – drums.


 

drum is a woman
Ballet of the Flying Saucers/Zajj’s Dream (CD: “A Drum Is A Woman” Sony Music Distribution COL4713202)

Recorded 25 September 1956, New York City

Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombones; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Rick Henderson, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano and narration; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums; Joya Sherrill, Margaret Tynes, Choir – vocals.


 

My People

My People/The Blues (CD: “My People – The Complete Show” Storyville Records 1018430)

Recorded 20, 21 & 27 August 1963, Chicago

Duke Ellington – speech; Bill Berry, Ziggy Harrell, Nat Woodard, Ray Nance – trumpet; Britt Woodman, Booty Wood, John Sanders – trombone; Russell Procope, Rudy Powell, Harold Ashby, Pete Clark, Bob Freedman – reeds; Billy Strayhorn – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Louie Bellson – drums; Juan Amalbert – conga; Joya Sherrill – vocal.


yale concert

The Little Purple Flower, Parts I and II (LP: “The Yale Concert” Fantasy Records F9433)

Recorded 26 January 1968, New Haven, Connecticut

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jeff Castleman – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


Concerts in Canada

Chinoiserie (LP: “Concerts in Canada” Special Release of the Canadian Duke Ellington Society commemorating Ellington ’87 may 16 – 18 Toronto)

Recorded 25 May 1973, Winnepeg

Cootie Williams, Mercer Ellington, Harold “Money” Johnson, Johnny Coles – trumpet; Vincente Prudente, Murray McEachern, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Harold Minerve, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Doug Harris, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.


The Clown

Recorded 29 September 1969, UC Berkley

Duke Ellington – narrator; Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Benny Green, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds;  Victor Gaskin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.


 

70th birthday concert

Ellington Final Speech (CD: “Duke Ellington’s 70th Birthday Concert” Solid State SS 19000)

Recorded 26 November 1969, Manchester, England

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Rolf Ericson – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors – trombone; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Johnny Hodges, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Victor Gaskin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.


 

 

“Juan’s an ‘Old Problem’” (Duke fires Mingus)

We reprint the legendary account, from the great bassist Charles Mingus, of how he was fired from the Duke Ellington band, in 1953, after a short time in the band.

For those of you who weren’t with us in Charlotte on February 22-23, 2019; well, you missed some amazing jazz, as Neil Caine honored Charles Mingus. I was fortunate enough to be the MC for the weekend and in that capacity, tell a few stories related to one of the greatest bass players in the history of jazz. Due to time constraints, I only made passing mention to one of my favorites – one from Mingus’ fascinating autobiography, Beneath the Underdog. I did promise to post the story in full, because it is a classic.

Charles Mingus idolized Duke Ellington from his youth. He always considered the Duke to be one of his greatest musical influences. So it had to be a thrill for Mingus, when, in 1953, he was hired to fill the bass chair in the Ellington Orchestra. It was a short-lived honor, however, as Mingus, who was known for his irascibility, almost as much as his prowess on the bass, almost immediately butted heads with Ellington’s famed valve trombonist, Juan Tizol (the composer of “Caravan”).

The “disagreement” was so heated, that Ellington, who almost never terminated anyone from his band, felt that someone had to go and that someone, was Charles Mingus.

Mingus gives an account of his firing, in his autobiography. Over the ensuing years, some have questioned the veracity of parts, or all, of Mingus’ version of the facts but it is so entertaining and, for those who knew Ellington, so plausible, that it has become the accepted account. Below is that story. Please note that Mingus wrote much of the book in the second person, and we will not make any revisions to his preference:

Tizol wants you to play a solo he’s written where bowing is required. You raise the solo an octave, where the bass isn’t too muddy. He doesn’t like that and he comes to the room under the stage where you’re practicing at intermission and comments that you’re like the rest of the niggers in the band, you can’t read. You ask Juan how he’s different from the other niggers and he states that one of the ways he’s different is that he is white. So you run his ass upstairs. You leave the rehearsal room, proceed toward the stage with your bass and take your place and at the moment Duke brings down the baton for “A-Train” and the curtain of the Apollo Theatre goes up, a yelling, whooping Tizol rushes out and lunges at you with a bolo knife. The rest you remember mostly from Duke’s own words in his dressing room as he changes after the show.

“Now, Charles,” he says, looking amused, putting Cartier links into the cuffs of his beautiful handmade shirt, “you could have forewarned me—you left me out of the act entirely! At least you could have let me cue in a few chords as you ran through that Nijinsky routine. I congratulate you on your performance, but why didn’t you and Juan inform me about the adagio you planned so that we could score it? I must say I never saw a large man so agile—I never saw anybody make such tremendous leaps! The gambado over the piano carrying your bass was colossal. When you exited after that I thought, ‘That man’s really afraid of Juan’s knife and at the speed he’s going he’s probably home in bed by now.’ But no, back you came through the same door with your bass still intact. For a moment I was hopeful you’d decided to sit down and play but instead you slashed Juan’s chair in two with a fire axe! Really, Charles, that’s destructive. Everybody knows Juan has a knife but nobody ever took it seriously—he likes to pull it out and show it to people, you understand. So I’m afraid, Charles—I’ve never fired anybody—you’ll have to quit my band. I don’t need any new problems. Juan’s an old problem, I can cope with that, but you seem to have a whole bag of new tricks. I must ask you to be kind enough to give me your notice, Mingus.”

The charming way he says it, it’s like he’s paying you a compliment. Feeling honored, you shake hands and resign.

[Bottom photo; L to R] Your humble blogger; Neal Caine; Will Campbell; Annalise Stalls; Ocie Davis; (not pictured – Orlando Fiol)

And that’s the way it happened, according to Charles Mingus. And who are we, to doubt him. Thanks again to the fantastic musicians, who made Mingus proud, through their efforts in The Jazz Room last weekend: Annalise Stalls; Will Campbell; Orlando Fiol; Ocie Davis and of course, Neal Caine.

Until the next time, the jazz continues.

Who’s Hazel Scott? (Unsung Women of Jazz #11)

Hazel Scott was a pioneering jazz artist, classical pianist, film actress and TV host. Alicia Keys mention of her on the Grammys has stoked renewed interest. For those who ask “Who’s Hazel Scott?” CurtJazz has some answers.

I must admit, it did my jazzy little heart good to hear Alicia Keys give a shout out to Hazel Scott during her impressive dual piano stint on the 61st Grammy Awards. As soon as she sat down between the two keyboards, I thought of Ms. Scott and her scene in the 1943 film The Heat’s On which clearly was Ms. Keys’ inspiration.

“The Heat’s On” [Dual piano comes in the last 1:30]

I’ve been an admirer of Ms. Scott’s for many years. Both for her piano prowess (though she usually only played one at a time) and for her willingness to take a stand for herself, as a black woman, even though it cost her considerably in her career, at a time when women would generally not do such a thing.

I first became aware of Hazel Scott, when as a teenager, I was causally watching the TV soap opera “One Life to Live”, with my mother, who was a huge fan. There was a wedding scene on the show between the two major black characters, Ed (played by the magnificent Al Freeman, Jr.) and Carla (Ellen Holly). Black love was very rare on television in that day, so it caught my eye. When this regal looking woman sat at the piano to play and sing, my mom says to our neighbor, who had stopped by to watch, “That’s Hazel Scott, ain’t it?” The neighbor watched closely for a few seconds and said “Yeah, that sure is. I haven’t seen her in a long time!”. I was struck by their excitement over this woman, so I asked. “Who’s Hazel Scott?”. My mom’s brief explanation (I was interrupting her “stories” – a cardinal sin), was that Hazel Scott was a singer, who used to be married to Adam Clayton Powell. I decided not to push it, lest I be banished.

“I Dood It”, with Red Skelton

I filed the info away, until I got to college a few years later and a real interest in jazz had taken hold. Here again, was the name Hazel Scott, accompanied by a striking album cover photo. The album was called Relaxed Piano Moods. She was leading a session, with Charles Mingus on bass and Max Roach on drums. By then, I knew Mingus and Roach pretty well. I figured if they were on this date, she must have something to say… Yes, she did. She was classically trained with a jazz style influenced by James P. Johnson’s stride and Ellington’s swing. The bop based backing of Mingus and Roach was a little new to her but she held her own. Relaxed Piano Moods is a good album.

So, who is Hazel Scott? She was born in Trinidad, in 1920. Her family moved to Harlem, when she was four. She was a piano prodigy, who was accepted to Julliard at age eight. By age fifteen she was opening for Count Basie and hosting her own radio show. By age eighteen, her classical and jazz hybrid piano style was packing them in at New York’s first integrated nightclub, Cafe Society.

By WWII, her talent, vivacious personality and beauty, had caught the attention of Hollywood. She was invited out West for screen tests and lit up the screen. But Ms. Hazel Scott knew her worth and her power. She was a civil rights activist from the beginning and the pianist/actress, by now in her early twenties, flatly refused any film role that she felt would cast her in a degrading light. She would not play a maid. She had riders in her film contracts, which gave her final approval, over her screen appearances and costumes. On the music circuit, her swinging classics, had made Hazel a national sensation, pulling in what would be in 2019, over $1,100,000 a year, for her club work alone.

In Hollywood, she was also quite popular. Her roles were never large, she usually was singing and playing piano but she was always gorgeous, dignified and elegant – a nascent feminist and an early model of black pride. In addition to The Heat’s On, with Mae West, she appeared in I Dood It, directed by Vicente Minelli; with Red Skelton; Rhapsody in Blue, with Robert Alda and Something to Shout About, with Don Ameche, among other films. Her Hollywood career came to an abrupt end, after a falling out with the all-powerful Columbia Pictures president, Harry Cohn, over a costume that she felt was stereotypical and demeaning. Cohn wanted black women, seeing their husbands off to war, to be dressed in dirty clothes with messy hair, while their white counterparts were dressed to the nines. Scott stood her ground, on behalf of herself and the rest of the black “war brides”. The production was shut down for three days. Ms. Scott won the battle, but Cohn vowed that she would not work again in Hollywood for the rest of his life. A vow that he kept.

With Charles Mingus on bass

She was also a staunch anti-segregationist. At a time when black entertainers were expected to perform in clubs that would not welcome them as patrons, or if so, they were shunted off into separate parts of the venue, Hazel Scott would have no part of it. She would not perform in any club that did not have integrated seating. She told Time Magazine “Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?” She was literally escorted out of the city of Austin, TX, by Texas Rangers, for refusing to play in front of a segregated audience. She and her traveling companion, were refused service at a restaurant in Pasco, WA, in 1949, because of the color of their skin. Scott successfully sued the restaurant, which caused challenges to discrimination laws throughout the state and changes to Washington State laws within a few years.

The year was 1950. The new medium of television was in its infancy. A lot of work in the early days was being done in New York. By now, Scott was married, to the legendary flamboyant minister and congressman, from Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. She was also mother to a young son, Adam III. Staying close to home was a better option. The fledgling DuMont network offered Hazel her own show. When in premiered, in July 1950, The Hazel Scott Show, became the first network TV show, to be hosted by a black woman. Her show aired Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 7:45 pm – 8 pm (they had 15 minute shows in those days). It was a musical program, that featured her and her guests performing various musical numbers. It received positive reviews and it looked like a hit that was set for a long run. However, the early days of television were hampered by a rampant “Red Scare”, in which artists were accused of being Communist Party members. Ms. Scott, was not then and never was a Communist. However, her no-nonsense manner and her controversial husband, along with her color, made her a prime target of the red baiters. Her name appeared in the rag, “Red Channels”. She voluntarily appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee in mid-September 1950, and vehemently denied Communist Party membership. It didn’t matter. The sponsors ran for the hills and The Hazel Scott Show was cancelled on September 29, 1950.

Hazel Scott and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

By the late 50’s the Red Scare had affected Ms. Scott’s career. Her marriage to Powell, was also crumbling, due in large part to his philandering. To escape marital troubles, racism and political stupidity, Ms. Scott moved to Paris, in 1958. She then divorced Adam Clayton Powell in 1960 and married Swiss comedian Ezio Bedin, in 1961. They divorced amicably a few years later. By 1967, Scott, struggled to make a living in Europe, despite speaking seven languages. The passage of the Civil Rights Act, also meant that life had, legally, improved in the U.S. It was time for Hazel Scott, and her son, to go home.

Hazel Scott worked sporadically, over the last 15 years of her life, including the two episode OLTL gig, that I mentioned earlier. Sadly, she passed away from cancer, in October 1981. She was 61 years old.

If a simple shout out from Alicia Keys, will lead to a renaissance for this brilliant, overlooked, American artist and pioneer, I am all for it. Not too many of her recordings are currently in print but I will list a few below. There was also a definitive biography, written by Karen Chilton, in 2008.

Hazel Scott – Partial Discography

Relaxed Piano Moods (with Mingus and Roach) [OJC]- her best album. Short in playing time but worthwhile. Get it while it’s still available.

‘Round Midnight [Fresh Sound] – An after hours style, easy listening album.

Hazel Scott 1946-47 [Classics] – a nice overview of her style, combining short classical solos and swing jazz pieces. Recording quality is spotty. OOP and hard to find.

The Book

Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist, from Cafe Society to Hollywood to HUAC – by Karen Chilton; September 2008; University of Michigan Press

Piano In the Foreground, II (Podcast #18-013)

Piano solo, duet and trio interpretations of Ellington compositions by Duke and others….
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……[M]y mother decided I should take piano lessons. My piano teacher, Mrs. Clinkscales (that was really her name), got paid several times a week for many weeks for these lessons, but I missed more than I took, because of my enthusiasm for playing ball, and running and racing through the street. That I remember very well, because when she had her piano recital with all her pupils in the church, I was the only one who could not play his part.

-Duke Ellington, Music Is My Mistress


erroll garner

Duke Ellington and Erroll Garner


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Earl “Fatha” Hines and Duke Ellington


Transcription of Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” solo



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



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In A Sentimental Mood (CD: “Piano Reflections” Capitol Jazz CDP 7 92863 2)

Recorded 13/14 April 1953

Duke Ellington – piano; Wendell Marshall – bass; Butch Ballard – drums.


evans

In A Sentimental Mood (CD: “Eloquence” Original Jazz Classics ‎OJCCD-814-2)

Recorded 1975, Montreux, Switzerland

Bill Evans – piano; Eddie Gomez – bass.


hines

In A Mellow Tone (CD: “Earl Hines plays Duke Ellington”

Recorded 27 November 1972, New York City

Earl Hines – piano.


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I Wanna Be A Rug Cutter (sic) (CD: “The Original Misty” Mercury ‎ 834 910-2)

Recorded 14 March 1955, Chicago

Erroll Garner – piano; Wyatt Ruther – bass; Eugene “Fats” Heard  – drums.


Monk

I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart (CD: “Thelonious Monk plays Duke Ellington” Universal 0546796)

Recorded 21 July 1955, Hackensack, New Jersey

Thelonious Monk – piano; Oscar Pettiford -bass; Kenny Clarke – drums.


Garner

Satin Doll (CD: “Ready Take One” Sony Music 88985363312)

Recorded 1967, New York City

Erroll Garner – piano;  Ike Isaacs – bass, Jimmie Smith – drums; Jose Mangual – congas.


tatum

Caravan (CD: “Art Tatum, The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces” Pablo 7PACD-4404-2)

Recorded 22 April 1954, Los Angeles

Art Tatum – piano


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Money Jungle (CD: “Money Jungle, Provocative In Blue” GrooveJazz Media LLC ‎– GJA 34026 02)

Released 2013

Gerald Clayton – piano; Christian McBride – bass; Terri Lynne Carrington – drums.


money jungle

Caravan (CD: “Money Jungle” Blue Note 7243 5 38227 2 9)

Recorded 17 September 1962, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano; Charles Mingus – bass; Max Roach – drums.


— Our closing music —-

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It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.


Sittin’ In (Podcast #18-004)

Over a half century, Ellington crossed paths with many illustrious musicians….
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Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra


count and duke

Count Basie and Duke Ellington


dizzy and duke

Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie


tommy dorsey and duke

Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey


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Coleman Hawkins and Duke Ellington


duke and trane

John Coltrane and Duke Ellington



The recordings heard on this podcast episode:



mosaic

St. Louis Blues (CD: “The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosiac Records #248)

Recorded 11 February 1932, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums; Bing Crosby – vocal.


bbbcd

Tonight I Shall Sleep (With A Smile On My Face) (CD: “Black, Brown, and Beige” RCA Victor 6641-2-RB)

Recorded 14 May 1945, New York City

Shelton Hemphill,  Rex Stewart, Taft Jordan, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Tommy Dorsey, Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones – trombones; Jimmy Hamilton, Otto Hardwicke, Johnny Hodges, Al Sears, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Bob Haggart – bass; Sonny Greer – drums


centennial

The Minor Goes Muggin’ (CD: “Highlights from the Duke Ellington Centennial Edition (1927-1973)” RCA Victor 09026636722)

Recorded 14 May 1945, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano; Charlie Shavers, George Seaberg, Mickey Mangano, Gerald Goff – trumpet; Tommy Dorsey, Karl DeKarske, Dick Noel, Tex Satterwhite – trombone; Joseph Parkty, Gus Bivona, Sid Cooper, Vido Musso, Babe Fresk, Bruce Branson – reeds; Bob Bain – guitar; Bob Haggart – bass; Buddy Rich – drums; Sy Oliver – arranger.


jazz party

Hello, Little Girl (CD: “Jazz Party” Columbia CK 40712)

Recorded 19 February 1959, New York City

Dizzy Gillespie, Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Clark Terry, Ray Nance – trumpet; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, ussell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Jimmy Jones – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums; Jimmy Rushing – vocal.


trane

Angelica (CD: “Duke Ellington & John Coltrane” MCA MCAD-39103)

Recorded 26 September 1962, New York City

John Coltrane – tenor sax; Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Garrison – bass; Elvin Jones – drums.


hawkins impules

Ray Charles’ Place (CD: “Duke Ellington meets Coleman Hawkins” Impulse! IMPD-162)

Recorded 18 August 1962, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown – trombone; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Coleman Hawkins – tenor sax; Harry Carney – baritone sax; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.


money jungle

Money Jungle (CD: “Money Jungle” Blue Note 7243 5 38227 2 9)

Recorded 17 September 1962, New York City

Duke Ellington – piano; Charles Mingus – bass; Max Roach – drums.


sinatra

I Like The Sunrise (CD: “Francis A. & Edward K.” Reprise Records ‎ 1024-2)

Recorded 12 December 1967, Seattle

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Mercer Ellington – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jeff Castleman – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums; Frank Sinatra – vocal.


first time cd

Battle Royal (CD: “First Time” Columbia CK 65571)

Willie Cook, Edward Mullens, Cat Anderson, Andres Merenguito, Thad Jones, Sonny Cohn, Snooky Young, Lennie Johnson, Ray Nance – trumpet; Louis Blackburn, Lawrence Brown, Juan Tizol, Henry Coker, Quentin Jackson, Benny Powell – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Marshal Royal, Johnny Hodges, Frank Wess(, Paul Gonsalves, Frank Foster, Budd Johnson, Harry Carney, Charlie Fowlkes – reeds; Duke Ellington, Count Basie – piano; Freddy Green – guitar; Aaron Bell – bass; Sonny Payne, Sam Woodyard – drums.

Soloists: Ellington, Basie, Wess, Hodges, Nance, Carney, Foster, Hamilton, Foster, Ellington & Basie, Brown, Gonsalves, Anderson, Woodyard, Payne.