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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 . . . and they didOct 24, 2005
What a great CD! From the classic take the "A" Train to the electric "Back to Basics," I can't stop listening to this music. It hasn't been out of my CD Player since it arrived.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Professionally, The Big Band Equivalent Of MJQMar 01, 2004
There is no other way to describe this organization in the manner that it perpetuates jazz at its finest!This is a compilation of performances from 1992-1994 on tour at Poughkeepsie,NY, Cleveland, and the Universities of Princeton, Michigan, and Iowa as well as Lincoln Center,NYC. I would have bought this cd purely on it containing the rarely recorded Ellington masterpiece "The Tattooed Bride". The performance of the additional material was an unexpected pleasure! The cd leads off with a version of "Take The 'A' Train" which adheres to the original Ellington band arrangement but allows the soloists a greater lattitude, such as the piano intro by Sir Roland Hanna and a masterful exhibition of trumpet playing by Lew Soloff. The 1927 Ellington composition "Black and Tan Fantasy" provides some virtuoso mute and plunger work by Wynton Marsalis on trumpet and Wycliffe Gordon on trombone which was enthusiastically received by the audience. "Express Crossing" written by Wynton Marsalis leaves no doubt in anyone's mind of the imagery of trains! This is part of a critically acclaimed score written for the New York Ballet. This one, for me, was a little far out! "Light Blue" is a Thelonious Monk composition that comes off well....with some fine examples of trumpet growels from Marsalis. "Jelly Jelly" is a real down blues with vocalist Milt Grayson sounding quite a bit like the great Billy Eckstine who was responsible for the lyrics. He also does the vocal on the Sigmund Romberg - Leo Robin collaboration on the infrequently recorded "Lost In Loveliness" ......which was previouly recorded by both Ellington and Eckstine. The Ellington arrangement of "Boy Meets Horn", written as a showcase for trumpeter Rex Stewart, is followed pretty closely except for the trumpet solo by Wynton Marsalis which is more extended and reveals his mastery of the instrument (never a doubt in my mind!). I found it hard to believe that Dizzy Gillespie's composition, "Things To Come", was first presented back in 1946. Small wonder that it blew away everyone for its sheer velocity alone! The fiery solos on this one go to alto saxist Jesse Davis and the high note trumpet specialist, Jon Faddis. I really dig Wynton's "Back To Basics", an excerpt from his extended work "Blood On The Fields". The tension and the beat on this just keeps building on solo after excellent solo. This one really cooks and if your fingers don't end up snapping.....you better check your pulse! Finally as a closer, the extended Ellington work (almost 12 minutes), "The Tattooed Bride". It sounds great in stereo...but....some of the beauty of the orchestration gets lost (possibly because of being recorded live in an auditorium?). For this reason alone, I still prefer the 1950 studio recording which has been re-released on cd ("Masterpieces by Ellington" on Columbia Masterworks). Bottom line: If you dig really good big band, soloists who are masters, a fine repertoire of jazz, and in particular Duke Ellington, in a responsive live setting, then you will want and enjoy this one!
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 great ellington stuff!May 12, 2001
The LCJO did a great job reproducing these Ellington masterpieces. The playing by Wynton is always good, but Jon Faddis, as well as Nicholas Payton, Lew Soloff, Roger Ingram, and Joshua Redman all make appearances on the cd. There are a few songs on the disc that I place ahead of others, like ATrain, Boy Meets Horn, and Things to Come. Some of the songs don't seem to go as far as they should, or could go. It is a great overall cd with good live recording. A very swinging band that recreates well while putting their own stamp on the work.
1 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 GoodMay 19, 1999
There are a few excellent cuts on this record where the LCJO is in top form, and that's pretty hard to beat. I'd buy the record again just for these tracks.
5 of 8 found the following review helpful:
"...fabulous, simply fabulous."Oct 26, 1998
This is one of the best cds I have listened to so far in my life. Being a musician, I can say that this is the epitomy of what jazz is.
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based on 5 reviews
