Master of Jazz

For Ellington collectors, the most important items on this CD are the two recordings from 1966 done in France when Ellington performed a solo concert in aid of the restoration of Goutelas chateau. Ellington's solo piano performances on "New World A'Coming" and his medley of his best known melodies are exceptional even by his standards. Usually, the "medley" was performed with his full orchestra and in this solo setting, Ellington does new and interesting things with some very familiar material. His performance of "New World A'Coming" is the best I've heard and that includes the various live recordings from Carnegie Hall and his "Concert Of Sacred Music" from 1965. The rest of the material on this CD is excellent and well chosen. For someone new to Ellington's music, the remaining tracks provide an interesting overview of his music from 1943, 1949 and 1962. Particularly outstanding are the 1949 radio air checks. The musical quality of these may persuade listeners to by the rest of the 1949 performance on the single Storyville CD (Duke Ellington "Live At The Empire" 1949) or even better, Storyville's "The Duke Box" which has a fantastic set of performances from the nineteen thirties to the late forties.