Ellington at Newport - Duke EllingtonI love jazz. I studied jazz guitar in college, I still play some on my bass, and I listen to quite a bit of jazz in my free time. So, it's understandable that I was looking forward to this record, since as a jazz lover, I obviously love Duke Ellington.
Again, I must admit a bias concerning this one. I'm very familiar with Duke Ellington's music, so it's a little bit hard to judge this album without comparing it to other recordings from the master bandleader. The same day I listened to this album, I happened to have listened to "Money Jungle", easily my favorite Ellington album, so I still had that in my head a bit.
With that said, this album is very good (but it's still no "Money Jungle") - The arrangements are great, the musicianship is great, and the trumpet playing is just awesome. While the tunes have a tendency to occasionally meander and become unfocused from time to time, when this band is on, they're on. Ellington's ability to update his sound throughout his career, without ever losing or compromising his unique style, is remarkable.
While this probably wouldn't be the first album of Mr. Ellington's I would suggest people listen to, especially if the person is unfamiliar with his music, this is an enjoyable listen and a great example of the jazz master's genius.
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