Up to 84% in savings when you subscribe to The Absolute Sound
Logo

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Jazz

Duke Ellington: Piano in the Background

Piano in the Background
Duke Ellington: Piano in the Background
  • Music
  • Sonics
  • A
  • A
  • A

This fine record tends to get lost in the varied landscape of Ellington Columbia dates from the mid-1950s to early 1960s. While it is not among the very best of these, it is not far off that mark (as is the trio date that followed, Piano in the Foreground). Similarly, it is not quite the audiophile dream that a couple of earlier Ellington Columbias are, but it does sound awfully good, especially on this beautiful vinyl issue. The piano is actually less in the background here than it often was on full-band dates, and anyone with any sense knows that that is a good thing; Ellington was one of the great piano stylists in jazz history, and if jazz writers have sometimes failed to emphasize this, jazz pianists haven’t. There’s plenty of solo space for iconic sidemen like Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance, and Jimmy Hamilton, too. The program is weighed towards classics like “Take the A Train,” “Rockin’ in Rhythm,” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” but the arrangements differ in many ways from the originals. Piano in the Background will be enjoyed equally by specialists and general listeners alike.

Read Next From Music

Adblocker Detected

"Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..."

"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."