Duke Ellington Live at Newport 1956

Written by Dermot Watson on Monday, 17 August 2009

Chances are that this album is already known to you…if not, consider yourself lucky. You’re about to find a whole new reason to love music. Recorded in 1956 at Newport’s ultra civilized, ultra affluent jazz festival, the event showcased Ellington’s ensemble, one of the hottest big bands.

Things were not going well for Ellington at this stage, though. Bebop was the new kid on the block, finishing the careers of many swing orchestras. Big bands were expensive to keep on the road and Ellington was now running at a loss. In some respects he saw the event as a way to find a new audience of white, well-to-do punters to keep him afloat.

The set didn’t start well. Before the gig, some band members couldn’t be found (they were later located and ushered on mid-set). When they finally really got going, the band introduced a new series of tunes written exclusively for the festival. The response was polite, but less than euphoric. Oh dear.

The day was saved, however, when a lone woman started dancing to the ever more frenzied Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue. Things are now starting to heat up, and the crowd could sense it. Sensing a ‘now or never’ moment, Ellington told tenor sax player Paul Gonsalves to keep on going….and going…and going.

What happened was history as 27 choruses (yes, that’s 27) built and built and built. At the end, it’s so intense it’s almost insane, and I get a kick from think that this – some of the wildest music I’ve ever heard – was made a bunch of guys in white tuxedos. Class.

As a result, Ellington’s reputation was built anew and he enjoyed a revival and many more years on the road.

  

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