Duke Ellington: Take the 'A' Train (1941) – as heard in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987)

Track

Take the 'A' Train

Artist

Duke Ellington (piano)

CD

Ken Burns Jazz: Duke Ellington (Columbia/Legacy CK 61444)

Buy Track

Musicians:

Duke Ellington (piano),

and a 15-piece band featuring Ray Nance (trumpet), Jimmy Blanton (bass), Sonny Greer (drums)

.

Composed by Billy Strayhorn

.

Recorded: Hollywood, February 15, 1941

Albumcoverduke_ellkburns

Rating: 100/100 (learn more)

In 1941, Duke Ellington escaped the bondage of jungle music via an underground railway called the ‘A’ train. Duke's motorman Billy Strayhorn, picking up a carload of familiar Swing Era passengers—catchy theme smoothly stated by saxes, punchy punctuation from the brasses, steady rhythmic pulse—transports us to Sugar Hill in Harlem, a destination just this side of paradise. Combining Benny Goodman's precision with Count Basie's nonchalance, Ellington's band rode its own express line to immortality. If you're looking for a single track to both epitomize and justify the Swing Era, take the ‘A’ Train.

Reviewer: Alan Kurtz

Tags: ·

Comments are closed.