Duke Ellington: Jingle Bells
Musicians:
Duke Ellington (piano), Cat Anderson (trumpet), Bill Berry (trumpet), Roy Burrows (trumpet), Ray Nance (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Chuck Connors (trombone), Britt Woodman (trombone), Russell Procope (alto sax), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Aaron Bell (bass), Sam Woodyard (drums), Eddie Locke (percussion).
Composed by James Lord Pierpont. Arranged by Mercer Ellington
.Recorded: New York, June 21, 1962
Rating: 94/100 (learn more)
Ten lords a leaping plus a Duke, Cat and Rabbit shake up "Jingle Bells" (1857) by James Lord Pierpont, who wasn't really a Lord, but an American commoner. For that matter, Ellington wasn't technically a Duke, Cat Anderson was feline only in name, and Rabbit Hodges nibbled his lettuce on sandwiches, not in gardens. Even so, this is the leaping-est "Jingle Bells" ever, with lordly solos by Duke, Brown, Hodges, Nance, Gonsalves and Hamilton. Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh, swinging all the way, oh what fun it is to hear Duke's big band play.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Tags: holiday theme
Comments are closed.