DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA – A Drum Is A Woman
Cheesecake 8241
Clark Terry , Willie Cook, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocal); Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders (trombone); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges, Rick Henderson (alto saxophone); Paul Gansalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet); Duke Ellington (piano, narrator); Betty Glamann (harp); Jimmy Woode (bass); Terry Snyder (drums); Candido Camero (bongo); Margaret Tynes, Joya Sherill, Ozzie Bailey (vocal)
Recorded in New York on September 17, 24, 25 & 28, & October 22 & 23, & December 6, 1956 & March 7, 1957
In the vast discography that Ellington left as his musical legacy, A Drum Is A Woman can perhaps be viewed as one of the most unusual. Ellington was approached by the CBS network to write and present some music for a TV show that was to be made in colour. CBS were developing the technology to bring this innovation to the American people alongside rivals NBC.
Duke’s idea was to present the music as a history of jazz, an idea that he had originally discussed with Orson Welles in 1941. The resulting music is a full and joint collaboration between Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with both contributing lyrics and music, tracing the history of the music from the African jungle to America as told through the persona of Madam Zajj. Fact soon gets left behind in a beguiling story that develops a charm of its own, and if some of the lyrics were decidedly suspect in the late fifties, they certainly do not conform in today’s PC society.
The music however is unmistakably Duke and Strayhorn, and of course the soloists that they had at their disposal. Not a solo per se, but some beautiful playing none the less is Harry Carney’ baritone on ‘What Else can You Do With A Drum’. The band and Clark Terry are superbly swinging and expressive on ‘Hey, Buddy Bolden’ and Johnny Hodges alto is a sensuas as ever on ‘A Drum Is A Woman – Part 2’.
The story is brought further up to date with a driving big band at full tilt on ‘Ballet of the Flying Saucers’ again featuring Johnny Hodges and Sam Woodyard at the drums. There is an amusing reference to Dizzy Gillespie (I can’t imagine who else Duke could possibly be referring to) on ‘Zajj’s Dream’, whilst ‘Rhumbop’ is another wonderful big band arrangement in which Joya Sherrill’s vocal are featured.
Prior to reviewing this reissue, I had not heard this piece of Ellingtonia for a number of years and did wonder how this would fit into my current listening. There are more essential Ellington albums out there, but once the indispensible of these have been acquired it would do no harm to add this to your collection. As I have found that since writing these words that I have returned to this disc purely for pleasure and the smile that it always raises.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Cheesecake 8241
Clark Terry , Willie Cook, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocal); Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman, John Sanders (trombone); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges, Rick Henderson (alto saxophone); Paul Gansalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet); Duke Ellington (piano, narrator); Betty Glamann (harp); Jimmy Woode (bass); Terry Snyder (drums); Candido Camero (bongo); Margaret Tynes, Joya Sherill, Ozzie Bailey (vocal)
Recorded in New York on September 17, 24, 25 & 28, & October 22 & 23, & December 6, 1956 & March 7, 1957
In the vast discography that Ellington left as his musical legacy, A Drum Is A Woman can perhaps be viewed as one of the most unusual. Ellington was approached by the CBS network to write and present some music for a TV show that was to be made in colour. CBS were developing the technology to bring this innovation to the American people alongside rivals NBC.
Duke’s idea was to present the music as a history of jazz, an idea that he had originally discussed with Orson Welles in 1941. The resulting music is a full and joint collaboration between Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with both contributing lyrics and music, tracing the history of the music from the African jungle to America as told through the persona of Madam Zajj. Fact soon gets left behind in a beguiling story that develops a charm of its own, and if some of the lyrics were decidedly suspect in the late fifties, they certainly do not conform in today’s PC society.
The music however is unmistakably Duke and Strayhorn, and of course the soloists that they had at their disposal. Not a solo per se, but some beautiful playing none the less is Harry Carney’ baritone on ‘What Else can You Do With A Drum’. The band and Clark Terry are superbly swinging and expressive on ‘Hey, Buddy Bolden’ and Johnny Hodges alto is a sensuas as ever on ‘A Drum Is A Woman – Part 2’.
The story is brought further up to date with a driving big band at full tilt on ‘Ballet of the Flying Saucers’ again featuring Johnny Hodges and Sam Woodyard at the drums. There is an amusing reference to Dizzy Gillespie (I can’t imagine who else Duke could possibly be referring to) on ‘Zajj’s Dream’, whilst ‘Rhumbop’ is another wonderful big band arrangement in which Joya Sherrill’s vocal are featured.
Prior to reviewing this reissue, I had not heard this piece of Ellingtonia for a number of years and did wonder how this would fit into my current listening. There are more essential Ellington albums out there, but once the indispensible of these have been acquired it would do no harm to add this to your collection. As I have found that since writing these words that I have returned to this disc purely for pleasure and the smile that it always raises.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
