艾靈頓公爵Duke Ellington (樂團)
★艾靈頓公爵在他的音樂生涯中,多次重新翻轉爵士音樂的定義,重新賦予爵士音樂不同的意涵和風格。
★CD2 所收錄的”Anatomy of a Murder” ,讓他首度獲得葛萊美獎肯定。
艾靈頓公爵從1923年自創樂團,到1974年他過世,一生貢獻給爵士樂超過五十個年頭,爵士史上罕有樂手像他這樣,見證了爵士音樂從最卑微的地位一路爬升成為主流樂種、再掉回到次文化的過程。
他崛起於紐約哈林區的棉花俱樂部,這裡可以說是孕育早期爵士音樂的聖地,他不願意被稱為爵士樂樂手,他只說自己演奏的音樂是「美式音樂」,或許也正是因為這個獨特的概念,艾靈頓公爵在他的音樂生涯中,多次重新翻轉爵士音樂的定義,重新賦予爵士音樂不同的意涵和風格,其中包括他以重新的角度看待大樂團爵士,讓爵士樂進入藝術的層次,而不是只是伴奏和舞廳中的配樂。
這套錄音收錄的是艾靈頓公爵在1959-61年間短短三年的錄音,但卻已經有十張之多,由此我們可以知道他的多產。但對於出生在十九世紀最後一年的他而言,這時的他已經邁入六十歲之齡了,卻依然活躍於樂壇,儘管時勢已經明顯對他不利,因為,到了五零年代,美國樂壇因為人民收入水準提高,俱樂部再也請不起大編制的樂團,所以紛採小樂團型式演出,這促成了五零年代咆勃爵士的誕生,也讓艾靈頓公爵頓時免臨失業危機,同時期的大樂團領班如貝西伯爵就只能解散團,但艾靈頓公爵卻憑著他能說善道的經營之道,讓樂團可以幾乎每天都有班可以演奏,不致失業,但旗下樂手紛紛不忍低薪求去,最後也讓樂團營運困難,再加上這時他的搖擺風格爵士已經不受歡迎,讓他面臨生涯低潮,直至1956年新港爵士音樂節上再顯身手受到注目,讓新一代樂迷重新愛上他。
這份現場錄音(其實是隔天重錄)當時交由哥倫比亞公司發行,促成艾靈頓公爵與該公司合約。在1959年一口氣拿下葛萊美獎最佳電視配樂獎、作曲獎、大樂團演奏獎三座獎座。這份讓他首度拿到葛萊美獎的錄音作品,也收錄在本輯中,就是第二張CD “Anatomy of a Murder”。
CD10
- Battle Royal
- To You
- Take the "A" Train
- Corner Pocket (aka Until I Met You)
- Wild Man
- Segue In C
- B D B
- Jumpin' at the Woodside
- One More Once
- Blues In Hoss' Flat
CD9
- I Can't Get Started
- Cong-Go
- Body and Soul
- Blues for Jerry
- Fontainebleau Forest
- Summertime
- It's Bad to Be Forgotten
- A Hundred Dreams Ago
- So
- Searching (Pleading for Love)
- Springtime In Africa
- Lotus Blossom
- All The Things You Are
- Piano Improvisation No. 2
- Pi
CD8
- Everything but You
- Black Beauty
- All Too Soon
- Something to Live For
- Mood Indigo
- Creole Blues
- Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care to Know)
- A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
- Mighty Like the Blues
- Tonight I Shall Sleep
- Dual Highway
- Blues
CD3
- Perdido
- Copout Extension
- Duael Fuel, Pt. I
- Duael Fuel, Pt. II
- Duael Fuel, Pt. III
- Idiom '59, Pt. I
- Idiom '59, Pt. II
- Idiom '59, Pt. III
- Things Ain't What They Used to Be
- Launching Pad
- V.I.P.'s Boogie
- Jam with Sam
CD4
- Three J's Blues
- Smada
- Pie Eye's Blues
- Sweet & Pungent
- C Jam Blues
- In a Mellow Tone
- Blues In Blueprint
- The Swingers Get the Blues, Too
- The Swinger's Jump
- Blues In Orbit
- Villes Ville Is the Place, Man
- Track 360
- Sentimental Lady
- Brown Penny
CD5
- Overture
- Toot Toot Tootie Toot (Dance of the Reed-Pipes)
- Peanut Brittle Brigade (March)
- Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy)
- Entr'acte
- The Volga Vouty (Russian Dance)
- Chinoiserie (Chinese Dance)
- Dance of the Floreadores (Waltz of the Flowers)
CD6
- Happy Go Lucky Local
- What Am I Here For
- Kinda Dukish / Rockin' In Rhythm
- Perdido
- I'm Beginning to See the Light
- Mid-Riff
- It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
- Main Stem
- Take the "A" Train
- Lullaby of Birdland
- The Wailer
- Dreamy Sort of Thing
- Ha
CD7
- Morning Mood
- In the Hall of the Mountain King
- Solvejg's Song
- Ase's Death
- Anitra's Dance
- Misfit Blues
- Schwiphti
- Zweet Zurzday
- Lay-By
CD1
- Malletoba Spank
- Medley: Toot Suite
- Satin Doll
- U.M.M.G.
- All of Me
- Tymperturbably Blue
- Fillie Trillie
- Hello Little Girl
CD2
- Main Title and Anatomy of a Murder
- Flirtibird
- Way Early Subtone
- Hero to Zero
- Low Key Lightly
- Happy Anatomy
- Midnight Indigo
- Almost Cried
- Sunswept Sunday
- Grace Valse
- Haupe
- Upper and Outest
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
- Merrily Rolling Along
- Beer Garden
- Polly