… And His Mother Called Him Bill

Occupation

Studios

  • RCA Studio A New York City
  • Coast recorder. San Francisco

And His Mother Called Him ... Bill is a jazz album by Duke Ellington, recorded in four recording sessions of 28 August 1967 to 15 November 1967 and released on RCA Victor in 1968. It is a tribute to the recently deceased Billy Strayhorn.

The album

And His Mother Called Him ... Bill was taken three months after the death of Billy Strayhorn, the closest collaborator of Duke Ellington. The album contains a series of Strayhorn compositions, including such as " Rain Check " and " Day Dream " and some pieces that had not yet been recorded by the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Most touching is the title "Blood Count"; it was the last piece that Strayhorn wrote as he lay dying with cancer. There is a feature for Johnny Hodges, " played virtually at a standstill with typical dense harmonies. The focus is a little melancholy figure in sixteenth notes, the one in regard to what Strayhorn was imminent, could break your heart, and Hodges, she starred in a way that they did it, "notes Ellington biographer JL Collier.

Even the title "The Intimacy of the Blues" is one of Strayhorn's last works. Regarding his disease takes the title " UMMG " ( Upper Manhattan Medical Group ), a device in which Ellington's longtime friend Arthur C. Logan worked. " " UMMG "has the haunting quality of sounds, similar to traveling ambulances ," Richard Cook and Brian Morton noted in her review of the album. There they also lift the title " All Day Long" shows; they consider it one of the most daring orchestral pieces in modern jazz.

One of the most memorable moments of the album is one of its end, when Duke "after the end of the actual shots once more sat down at the piano and in the midst of the happy after work optimism in with " is Lotus Blossom " a very personal goodbye to " Sweet Pea "took. The while listening in the background, gradually verstummende discussion of the case enthralling musicians interferes not in the least, actually increases the dramatic effect of this unspectacular and yet so exciting, because moving and thoughtful, devoted tinged solos, "said Ellington biographer Hans Ruland.

Effect story

Richard Cook and Brian Morton draw in their Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD from the album with the highest rating of four stars. The album won the 1969 Downbeat Critics Poll as Record of the Year. In the same year the album was awarded as the best jazz instrumental performance Grammy.

Edition history

The album was released in 1968 as an LP (RCA LSP 3906 ), several times was then released as a compact disc; first in 1987 at RCA Records / Bluebird Records, then in 1993 by Flying Dutchman Records, and finally in 2000 by BMG. The CD editions contain additional alternate takes.

The title

Title of the original edition of 1968

The title of the CD is issued

Information on the occupation of the individual sessions

For the original take of " Lotus Blossom" Ellington was solo was added (30 August 1967); the alternate take (No. 16) is additionally provided with Harry Carney and Aaron Bell (1 September 1967). The trombonist John Sanders plays also in the titles " Rain Check " and " Midriff ". In these titles as well as the title "Blood Count" Harry Carney missing. On the last recording session on 16 November 1967 ( " Daydream " / "The Intimacy Of The Blues " / " Charpoy " / "Eight O'Clock Rock " ), which took place only one in San Francisco, played Jeff Castleman and Sam Woodyard instead by Aaron Bell and Steve Little.

Literature / Sources

  • Richard Cook & Brian Morton The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD 6th edition. ISBN 0-14-051521-6
  • Hans Ruland: Duke Ellington - His life, his music, his records. Gauting, Oreos ( Jazz Collection ) 1985

Comments

  • Album ( Jazz )
  • Album 1968
  • Duke Ellington Album
Record label Genre Lawrence Brown (musician) Richard Cook (journalist) 11th Annual Grammy Awards John La Touche (lyricist) Carnegie Hall
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