Feeling Of Jazz

I've always enjoyed Duke Ellington---not only for his pianism but also for his composing, arranging and bandleading---and this is no exception. We have here not only the familiar but also some unfamiliar works, something new to chew on! And much credit must go to his sidekick Billy Strayhorn who has contributed many a juicy piece---I grew up hearing this stuff on AM radio in the forties, and I still love it.

Recorded in 1962, in between Ellington's Columbia years which had just ended and his relatively brief stay with Sinatra's Reprise Records which was about to commence, "The Feeling of Jazz" is an unusual mixture of Ellington standards and lesser known pieces. "Flirtibird" and "I'm Gonna Go Fishing" from Duke's score for "Anatomy of a Murder," work nicely with "Smada" and "Boo-Dah," while the vocal tracks (Ray Nance) "Jump for Joy" and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart/Don't Get Around Any More" add interest. Another traversal of "Take the 'A' Train" may seem redundant, but the arrangement breathes new life into it; and ditto "Black and Tan Fantasy" which comes across as fresh and imaginative.Most of the players had been with the Ellington orchestra for twenty or more years at this point, and shared an intuitive relationship with each other that comes through in the music."The Feeling of Jazz" has had a place in my music library for more than twenty years, and while I may not turn to it as often as I do to a number of other Ellington discs, it's still a wonderful album.Four and a half stars.

Many of the recordings Ellington made in the last 20 years of his career were recorded in major studios, but were done so at Ellington's expense, so he could retain ownership. Most were not released during Duke's lifetime, and have remained unavailable for years.The tracks on this disc come from some of those recording sessions. These took place in May & July, 1962 at Bell Sound Studios. They contain some tracks not recorded by Ellington anywhere else, and some are re-recordings of his very early hits. And every track is in stereo! It's pure Ellington with the Duke himself on piano, and the rest of his orchestra behind him.All the tracks were remastered in 24-bit, so the sound is crystal clear. The solos are fantastic, and again...they're all in stereo! There's nowhere else these tracks are available, so if you want them, this is the place.

Solid Duke. Not in my Top 10 Ellington, but glad I bought it. It isn't one of the true 1960s gems like "Blues in Orbit," "Piano in the Background," "Great Paris Concert," :Violin Sessions" or "Berlin '65/Paris '67." More on par with the Virgin Island CD.

Order soon you won't be disappointed!

The artist is outstanding but the quality of the recording wasn't as good as I what I was hoping for.

This nice CD is, by any standard excellent,but I'm giving it one star less than maximum (that is - 4 stars) just because it is not in my top-Ellington albums... Maybe four and a half would be a better grade....It is a nice mix of well-known standards and almost obscurities, you get to hear a nice glimpse of Jimmy Hamilton's and Russell Procope's sax-playing skills, with contributions by Lawrence Browne, Hodges, Carney, Duke himself.....BUT this is basically a Ray Nance vehicle all-around. AND it is nice - Nance is one of those great Ellingtonians you can't really grade from best to worst, since they are so-o-o-o fine, the whole lot of them.Nance's cornet is top class (his vocals have sounded more convincing elsewhere)... It's just... How can I put it... I have a feeling that this became a Nance vehicle almost by accident. It doesn't feel like a concept album (it is certainly not marketed as such)... As I listened and re-listened this one, I just wanted more variety!Now, let me repeat - this is EXCELLENT music, Ellington's orchestra in early 60's (1962 to be precise) is in fine shape. It was just not as pleasurable to me as some other Ellington's albums were.

I had never heard of this label or this title before, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of this material was originally issued under other album titles. However, the selections are almost all excellent, and the mastering job is superb. Particularly incredible is the slow, lilting performance of "Flirtbird," an under-recognized masterpiece from Anatomy of a Murder. The selections are a good mix of popular and little known gems. A very happy purchase.

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