Notes & Personnel Info |  | Producers include: Norman Granz, Eric Miller, Orrin Keepnews, Bob Weinstock. | | Compilation producer: Eric Miller. | | Recorded between October 1953 and December 1989. Includes liner notes by Joe Goldberg. | | Digitally remastered by Joe Tarantino (1999, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). | | Personnel: Joe Pass (guitar, electric guitar); John Pisano, Wes Montgomery (guitar); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, saxophone); Jerome Richardson (soprano saxophone); Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Paul Gonsalves, Richie Kamuca, Sonny Rollins, Zoot Sims, Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney, Bill Hood (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry, Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Oscar Brashear, Ray Nance, Snooky Young, Bill Berry, Roy Burrowes, Cat Anderson (trumpet); Chuck Conner, Frank Rosolino, Leon Cox, Lawrence Brown (trombone); John Lewis, Duke Ellington, Hank Jones , Jack Wilson, Joe Zawinul, Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Ross Tompkins, Art Tatum (piano); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Louis Hayes, Philly Joe Jones (drums, snare drum); Kenny Clarke (drums); Colin Bailey, Nick Creoli, Frank Severino, Lex Humphries, Louie Bellson, Sam Woodyard, George Joyner (snare drum); Ray Barretto (congas). | | Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino. | | Liner Note Author: Joe Goldberg. | | Duke Ellington is one of the true irreducibles in jazz. Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker were more brilliant as soloists, but neither could touch him as a bandleader, composer, or musical visionary. This entry in Prestige's Jazz Giants series finds some of the greatest names in jazz applying their prestigious chops to some of Duke Ellington's finest music. Ellington himself appears on four of the tracks and bandmembers like the sainted Johnny Hodges ("Mr. Silvertone") and others pop up in different configurations of the Ellington Orchestra. Along the way, we find the sounds of John Coltrane, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Miles Davis, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, Donald Byrd, Hank Jones, Wes Montgomery, Ron Carter, Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Art Tatum, Benny Carter, and Oscar Peterson amidst the various lineups onboard -- all jazz giants indeed. Each of them brings something unique to the tunes at hand, with the live versions of "Prelude to a Kiss" and "Satin Doll" from a 1967 concert with Duke and the band being the true highlights of this delightful collection. Sir Duke's memory is served well with this disc. ~ Cub Koda |
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