Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington wrote jazz that slips past easy labels: three-minute standards thick with colour, growl and hush, and longer suites built for the voices of a big band. His orchestra was the instrument; the songs still own the night.
He composed and led from the piano, cueing brass, reeds and rhythm into music that could be jungle heat one moment and pure ballad the next. Pieces such as Solitude, Don't Get Around Much Anymore and Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me sit among more than a thousand works, many now standards, written for distinctive soloists and for the full ensemble as a single breathing body. With Billy Strayhorn he stretched the form into suites without losing the swing and street pulse of Harlem. The writing prizes mood, nuance and the specific timbre of whoever was in the chair. Listeners still meet that sound as American music beyond category: elegant, blues-stained, and built to last on record.
Compositions by Duke Ellington appear on
WindSong
Eric Klay brings his bass trombone centre-stage in a varied selection of stylish classic, contemporary, and big band pieces.
Just For The Record
Renowned jazz singer Linda Cable gathers moody ballads and up-tempo standards in a polished set that moves from cool and slinky to full swing.
Love Rhapsody
Emma Sidney’s debut jazz album Love Rhapsody traces love in every mood, from triumph to loss. Standards sit beside three of her own songs, sung with swing, Latin colour and intimate ballad feeling.