Tracks:
1. Festival Junction
2. Blues To Be There
3. Newport Up
4. Jeep's Blues
5. Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue
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FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
It's impossible to overstate the importance of this uberclassic jazz opus.
And it's not just an essential historical document; it's a damn fine listen. Any time. Any place.
My entry, previously shared in my jazz diary, follows:
Newport has been the scene of many a great jazz performance and accompanying recording. This one, in particular, has a rich history and many interesting anecdotes surrounding it. Sometimes lost in the shuffle of the more immediately sensational aspects of of the performance is that Ellington's star was clearly in decline in 1956 as tastes changed and the jazz landscape was being taken over by the new breed of hard boppers on one hand and the forward thinkers like Mingus and Monk on the other. Yet this performance, so full of life, resurrected Ellington's name and career to the point he would never again fall from grace.
This was the first Ellington disc I ever purchased and it immediately became a favorite despite my general preference for hard bop. At times, it swings so hard you just know the train is headed right off the rails, but it somehow manages to take every curve, sometimes at breakneck speed, without ever losing composure. The lively and ambitions "Festival Junction" is a perfect example of this crazed but controlled dynamic. The highlight of the show was "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" with a sax solo for the ages from Paul Gonsalves. From Wikipedia:
The normally sedate crowd was on their feet dancing in the aisles, reputedly provoked by a striking platinum blonde woman in a black evening dress, Elaine Anderson, getting up and dancing enthusiastically. When the solo ended and Gonsalves collapsed in exhaustion, Ellington himself took over for two choruses of piano solo before the full band returned for the "Crescendo in Blue" portion, finishing with a rousing finale featuring high-note trumpeter Cat Anderson.
It was a great joy reacquainting myself with the spirit of this album for this diary, and researching more of the story behind it. Yes, it remains a favorite.... how could it not? But at this point, I have to slip it in every so slightly behind the most brilliant "Ellington Uptown" and the epic "Black, Brown, and Beige."
There has been a used copy of this at one of my local music shops for a long time now. Definitely going to pull the trigger on it next time in. Thanks for the write up, Fischman. _________________ Attention all planets of the solar federation: We have assumed control.
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