Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » All Ellington: All Ellington

All Ellington: All Ellington

By Mark Corroto
April 8, 2019
View read count

When

Eric Boeren

trumpet
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Boeren assembles a cast of musicians to play the music of

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington and

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn you know it won't be your father's Ellington. Well, unless your father is very, very hip. You probably already expect this, knowing Boeren has been a mainstay of the new Dutch swing for decades. With his All Ellington tentet, he relies on a cast of skilled improvisers to enliven music written and recorded fifty, sixty, seventy and even eighty years ago.

The music is formulated as a series of medleys with songs bridged together by way of improvised passages. Opening with what sounds like the pulse of a car alarm going off, the music kicks into a tightly arranged version of the 1939 Juan Tizol & Jimmy Mundy ballad "Night Song" before an improvised interlude of extended technique ushers in Jodi Gilbert's wordless vocalese of "Strange Feeling" which then morphs into the Strayhorn lyrics. The medley next includes "Sonnet For Sister Kate" from Such Sweet Thunder. Boeren mixes and matches Ellington from various decades to great effect. He borrows another composition, "Sonnet In Search of a Moor" from Such Sweet Thunder later in his medley that includes "Lament For Javanette."

The sounds are inspired by the thrill Ellington's music possessed back in the day and, refreshingly, the pieces are not performed simply as repertory music. That is because Boeren and company have been performing this music on a regular basis since 2013 and, after a 2017 week-long residency, they further refined their approach, as is evident here. For Ellington-philes, the adaptations of the lesser-known pieces are the gems. Other listeners can savor covers of the familiar "(In My) Solitude," "Black And Tan Fantasy," and "Sophisticated Lady." The latter piece opens with Wilbert de Joode's bowed bass, then articulated vocals and Giuseppe Doronzo's lush baritone saxophone, before congealing into an ethereal improvisation. Drummer

Frank Rosaly

drums
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Rosaly suppresses any big band urge to grandstand, sticking with a support role, but adding minimalist accents and inflections. Did I mention there are also fantastic solos from Boeren, Joost Buis, and let's not overlook Oscar Jan Hoogland?s piano interpretation of Ellington? This music will either bolster your love of Duke, or send you back deep into his catalog.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Night Song; Strange Feeling; Sonnet For Sister Kate; (In My) Solitude; Zweet Zursday; Black And Tan Fantasy; Sophisticated Lady; Lament For Javanette; Sonnet In Search of a Moor; Mount Harissa.

Personnel

Eric Boeren

trumpet

Jodi Gilbert: vocals; Mo van der Does: alto saxophone, clarinet; Natalio Sued: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Giuseppe Doronzo; baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Eric Boeren: cornet; Jimmy Sernesky: trumpet; Joost Buis: trombone; Oscar Jan Hoogland: piano; Wilbert de Joode: bass; Frank Rosaly: drums.

Album information

Title: All Ellington | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: de Platenbakkerij

PREVIOUS / NEXT

ECM @ 50
< Previous

Lyric Motion
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.