Favourite Ellington cover versions

[sideshowbob]

Could be a huge subject, but what the heck.

Just listening to a new purchase, Archie Shepp's "Day Dream", an uneven but enjoyable collection of Ellington tunes, from 1977. Struck by a particularly good version of "Caravan" on this, a pretty thorough deconstruction but one that swings like a mutha.

So, favourite Ellington covers, particularly versions that do something surprising with the source material.

-- Ian

[catesta]

"Come Sunday" as done by Cedar Walton, Kenny Dorham, Junior Cook, Leroy Vinnegar, and Billy Higgins on Cedar!.

Plenty more to choose from.

My favorite tribute/cover date, I think has become the 1969 All-Star White House Tirbute.

[PDEE]

Well I know Bev disagree's with me on this... we've been there before, but the Stan Tracey tribute Album " WE Still Love You Madly" has a really nice set of Ellinigtons tunes reworked well.

[Joel]

Dom Minasi's avant garde version of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is always a delight everytime I listen to it.

[John L]

This is a hard one. There are so many great Ellington covers.

I agree with Sideshow that Shepp's "Day Dream" is a sleeper. I keep coming back to that one.

Lucky Thompson's soprano version of "In a Sentimental Mood" with Hank Jones on Lucky Strikes really grabs me. In general, I just love that composition. Gorgeous!

Sidney Bechet's version of "the Mooche" deserves mention too.

As far as all-Ellington piano programs, Earl Hines did a tremendous job of making Ellington his own on "Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington." Do did Monk on his Ellington disk, for that matter. Tommy Flanagan's Ellington "Tokyo Recital" is also a standout in my book. Then there are Randy Weston's "Portraits of Duke Ellington" and Roland Hanna's "Duke Ellington Piano Solos." Very good!

And let's not forget James Carter's extraordinary version of A-Train!

[liamw]

Re all-Ellington albums, I've just been listening again to Chico Hamilton's "Original Ellington Suite," which is a pleasure. I'm also rather fond of Scott Hamilton's "Organic Duke," which came out just as I was beginning to appreciate the B3. But best of all is the Lous Armstrong Allstars sessions, though since Ellington was a participant on those they may not qualify. But what a joy!

[Mr. Robinson]

Charles Mingus' version of "Mood Indigo" on "Mingus Dynasty" is fabulous, with John Handy doing a nice impersonation of Johnny Hodges. I agree that the 1969 White House Tribute is fantastic as well, quite a few top-flight performances to choose from on that CD, including Gerry Mulligan's reading of "Warm Valley" and especially Joe Williams' tearing it up on "Jump for Joy."

[J Larsen]

I really like Chico Hamilton's Ellington Suite with Eric Dolphy. I can understand why some people don't (I've heard people call it "too chamberish" for their tastes - I *think* I know what they mean by that), but nonetheless the record really resonates with me.

[shawn·m]

Fred Hess’ cover of “Such Sweet Thunder,” from the recording of the same name, originally piqued my curiosity about Ellington. They did a very nice job for a sextet, although I wish Hess had taken the opportunity to extend and play with the solos more. It’s been a while and I can’t quite remember, but the solos may be straight recreations.

[saintvitus]

James Newton's version of "Black and Tan Fantasy" thrills from start to finish.

[EKE BBB]

The whole Monk plays Ellington is a masterpiece

Listen to Caravan by Hodges/Hawkins/Eldridge in Alive at the Village Gate! Great blowin´

There are dozens and dozens of good covers of neverending Ellingtonia!!!

[EKE BBB]

With an opus like this http://www2.biglobe.ne.jp/~songbook/ellington-strayhorn/tnlstidxframe.html what else can be added?

[Harold_Z]

I'm with EKE concerning MONK PLAYS ELLINGTON. It's Just a great record. It's a differnt take on Duke, although the pianistic influences are part of Monk's keyboard persona.

For another totally different take on Duke, check out Dr John's DUKE ELEGANT. He approaches it totally from and R&B cum Jazz angle, with the emphasis on the R&B and New Orleans funk. I always describe this by saying "It's as if Duke Ellington was an unknown writer and Dr. John was handed a bunch of lead sheets". He totally does his own take on it. I enjoyed it and it IS totally different.

[Pete Souders]

I second the motion for Lucky Thompson's version of 'In A Sentimental Mood'. Another which immediately comes to mind: a version of "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" from Tommy Flanagan's "Super Session" on Inner City (an lp from about 1980) with Red Mitchell on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.

[DustyFoot]

I am partial to just about any Duke and/or Mercer tune covered by Mingus. Mingus had a way of bringing out that extra bit of life in the Maestro's work, if that's at all possible. To my ears, anyway.

[BruceH]

Originally posted by J Larsen
I really like Chico Hamilton's Ellington Suite with Eric Dolphy. I can understand why some people don't (I've heard people call it "too chamberish" for their tastes - I *think* I know what they mean by that), but nonetheless the record really resonates with me.

I second this choice! A great album, almost lost. Can't really understand why Dick Bock didn't like this session. It's not really 'out' at all.

[tipitina]

Band out of New Orleans called Galactic plays a mean version of "Blue Pepper" off of "Far East Suite". Its not on a studio recording but they play it live quite often. I think The Duke would be proud of this funked up version. Especially, when they get the four sax front line leading the charge.

Not your traditional Duke, but well worth a listen.

[BulletHead]

Rockin' In Rhythm form Weather Report Night Passage.

[jazzcritic]

Tony Overwater Trio & the Calefax Reed Quintet, performing the complete version of The Far East Suite in concert. The combined groups omit piano and brass.

Also, Lorraine Feather did a great job writing lyrics to Ellington's instrumentals. I love "Imaginary Guy" (set to "Dancers in Love") and "Antarctica" (set to "The Ricitic"), two hilarious pieces!

[J_Deighton]

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues Back To Back!
Oh- wait. Wrong kind of Ellington cover... erm... Slowpoke's version of "Rockin In Rhythm."

[jazzcritic]

For solo piano, it's hard to match Art Tatum's interpretations of:

Caravan
In a Sentimental Mood
Just a-Sititn' and a-Rockin'

[UnboundedSky]

Dolphy's duet version of Come Sunday.
-Bill

[gabegabrielsky]

Sorry, but Ellington was a popular song writer. As such it is a complete misuse of the term to call various versions of his compositions "covers," any more than we would call, say, various versions of Cole Porter tunes, afer being introduced by somebody such as Fred Astaire "covers." So Art Tatum doing Caravan is not a cover. On the other hand Stan Kenton doing a kind of burlesque of Take the A Train might qualify as a cover.

[gabegabrielsky]

In reverse, Ellington's versions of various swing era big band themes are sort of covers, though to my knowledge the notion of a "cover" was a more commercial version of a tune released shortly after the original and taking advantage of both the tune's intrinsic merits and the greater commercial appeal of the "covering" artist. Thus, Pat Boone "covered" Little Richard Tunes. Elvis "covered" Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog.

Of course it goes back earlier than the rock era. Glenn Miller "covered" Erskin Hawkins Tuxedo Junction. Harry James "covered" Basie's One O'Clock jump. One might say that Goodman "covered" much of the Henderson book, but even that is a bit of a stretch as Goodman bought the book and used the same arrangements whereas true "covers" are close to, but not exactly like, the origninal.

It goes as far back as the 20s, when white bands frequently "covered" the releases of African American bands. Indeed, typically a "cover" was a laundered and sanitized version by a white artist of a tune originally released by an African American performer. But not always. For example, in the 30s Bobby Hackett "covered" several Bix Beiderbecke originals, playing solos that were a close homage to the originals. And one of Elvis's first tunes was a "cover" of Bill Monroe's Blue Moon of Kentucky. Like the remakes of a motion picture "covers' were not usually as compelling as the original. They tend to be either laundered versions, or burlesques of the originals.

Having said that the hundreds of versions of tunes from the great American song book (of whom Ellington and Waller were major contributors) can hardly be considered "covers" in the sense meant above.

Likewise with most jazz "standards" such as Night in Tunisia, which virtually every bop aggregation plays as a matter of course.

However, I probably can be said that different versions of tunes that have become entirely identified with a particular artist really are covers. From the 50s on Woody Herman was especially partial to doing covers of tunes identified with other artists. He did, for example, interesting arrangements of the Preacher, Giant Steps, Spain, and some Chicago numbers.

[srellek]

Great thread. Building on sideshowbob's Shepp reference, I would add Shepp's incredible versions of "Prelude to a Kiss" on FIRE MUSIC and as incorporated into his "Portrait of Robert Thompson" on MAMA TOO TIGHT.

Sun Ra does a version of "Take the A Train" (I know, not really a Duke composition) on LIVE AT MONTREUX that is quite something.

Mingus and some of his interpretations have been mentioned. I would add his Ellington medley from AT MONTEREY.

There is also Paul Bley's astounding "Caravan", clocking in at over a half hour

I've been in a Jimmy Rowles bag for the last month so I'll mention his PLAYS ELLINGTON cd that is sublime...

[Audiology]

Partial to keyboards, I nominate Michel Petrucciani's album:Promenade with Duke (http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,145844,00.html).

Also Chucho Valdes Homenaje a Ellington (http://www.mp3.com/tracks/4868469/dl_streams.html) track on his New Conceptions (http://www.mp3.com/albums/599526/summary.html) album.

Audiology