"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing."
Maybe nobody exemplified that sentiment more than Duke Ellington and his Big Band. The man can truly be considered one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. His vast body of work is unparallelled in the field of jazz and many of his numbers have become timeless classics, to be reworked and re-recorded by countless musicians.
Music Video Distributors, along with Disconforme, have put together a DVD of Ellington and his Big Band playing some of the Duke's greatest compositions ever. Tracks like "Sophisticated Lady", "Caravan" , "Cottontail" are all seen here in their entirety. Sure the sound is hissy , but the images are surprisingly good. There's an effective use of multi-camera which seems a tad advanced for 1952. If swing is your thing ( or your parents' thing) you'll definitely want to hear this solid cast of musicians, led by the irrepressable Duke himself.
This is a great time capsule for the serious jazz collector as well as being a very upbeat, entertaining DVD. One of ten in the "Stars Of Jazz Collection", The Big Band Feeling serves as an excellent window into a long lost era.
Track Listing:
- Sophisticated Lady
- Caravan
- The Mooche
- VIP's Boogie
- Solitude
- Mood Indigo
- The Hawk Talks
- I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
- Bli-Blip
- Flamingo
- Cottontail
- C Jam Blues (Hot Chocolate)
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