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Duke Ellington Reader
"The Duke Ellington Reader, Mark Tucker offers the first historical anthology of writings about this major African-American musician. The volume includes over a hundred selections--interviews, critical essays, reviews, memoirs, and over a dozen writings by Ellington himself"
Paperback
First published October 14, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 3, 2019
This anthology of articles, interviews, record reviews, and analytical pieces about Duke Ellington (as well as some of the composer's own writings) is one of the best of its kind. Ellington's career was 50 or so years long, and there are selections here covering every period and nearly every aspect of Ellington and his music. Some highlights:
R. D. Darrell's "Black Beauty," which appeared in a classical record magazine in 1932. It's remarkable for its insight and understanding; it has to be considered one of the first mature pieces of jazz criticism.
"The Hot Bach," Richard Boyer's long, intimate account of traveling with the Ellington band, published in The New Yorker in 1944.
Critical/analytical articles by Max Harrison, Andre Hodeir, A. J. Bishop, Brian Priestly, Martin Williams and others.
Many concert reviews and on-the-spot reports - some better than others, but all very interesting.
And of course, Ellington's own writing: sometimes prescient, sometimes oblique, sometimes moving.
This is a mammoth anthology (over 500 pages) about a mammoth figure in American music. If you love Ellington, you need this on your shelves.
R. D. Darrell's "Black Beauty," which appeared in a classical record magazine in 1932. It's remarkable for its insight and understanding; it has to be considered one of the first mature pieces of jazz criticism.
"The Hot Bach," Richard Boyer's long, intimate account of traveling with the Ellington band, published in The New Yorker in 1944.
Critical/analytical articles by Max Harrison, Andre Hodeir, A. J. Bishop, Brian Priestly, Martin Williams and others.
Many concert reviews and on-the-spot reports - some better than others, but all very interesting.
And of course, Ellington's own writing: sometimes prescient, sometimes oblique, sometimes moving.
This is a mammoth anthology (over 500 pages) about a mammoth figure in American music. If you love Ellington, you need this on your shelves.
June 13, 2016
Loved the book! Love the man! Love the music!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews