Duke Ellington Live At The Berlin Jazz Festival 1969-1973

On November 8, 1969, the Duke, whose portrait adorns the poster of the Jazz Days on the occasion of his 70th birthday, slowly sits down at his piano on the stage of the large hall of the Berlin Philharmonie. At the podium is his orchestra in a brilliant line-up. Some of the musicians involved have been accompanying Ellington for 30 years, such as Cootie Willams and Cat Anderson. The legendary saxophonists Paul Gonsalves and Johnny Hodges as well as Russell Procope are also part of the party.
With a kind of rattle, the Duke opened 'La plus Belle Africaine'. A baroque but perfectly mastered mixture of sunny colors, recorded during a tour in Dakar, introduced by the solo saxophone and then taken up by all or part of the band with flashing ingenuity. The sound is set. Cat Anderson begins with a furious "El Gato" that shakes the audience with its creaking, deliberate deconstruction and reminds them of the revolutionary, fragmentary and unfinished gestures of Thelonious Monk or Cecil Taylor. A rehearsed contrast to the gentle continuation of "I Can't Get Started", just before the 43-second bracket of "Caravan", which represents a mischievous connection to the extravagant "Satin Doll", which masterfully underlines this concert.
In 1973, a few months before his death, Duke returned to Berlin in a formation based on his trio (Joe Benjamin on double bass and Quinten "Rocky" White Jr. on drums), joined by Harold Johnson on trumpet, clarinetist and baritone saxophonist Harry Carney - and his long-time companion, tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves. Duke Ellington focuses on his piano, which is both the driving force of the ensemble and its harmonic and rhythmic backbone.
In the blues with which the concert opens, we hear Debussy. This is followed by "Take the A train". Ellington likes mood change. And then he dares to do everything. In "Tap Dance" he offers his band the rhythmic virtuosity of Baby Laurence in tap dance. The magic works. A terrific success.
Two concerts in Berlin, two facets of a poetic universe, two visions of an alchemist who knew how to draw from the music with ease, but also with a mixture of jubilation and authority, which make the formula he loves so relevant: "There are only two types of music: good and bad". The Lost Recordings had the great privilege of reviving the better one.

Musicians:

• Duke Ellington (p)
• Joe Benjamin (b)
• Quinten "Rocky" White Jr (dr)
• Harold "Money" Johnson (tp)
• Paul Gonsalves (sax)
• Harry Carney (bar; cl)
• Cat Anderson (tp)
• Cootie Williams (tp)
• Mercer Ellington (tp)
• Harold Ashby (sax)
• Johnny Hodges (sax)
• Russell Procope (sax)
• Rufus Jones (dr)

Selections:

Side A
1. Piano Improvisation No. 1
2. Take the "A" Train
3. Pitter Panther Patter
4 Sophisticated Lady
5. Introduction by Baby Laurence
6. Tap Dance
Side B
1. The Most Beautiful African
2. El Gato
3. I Can't Get Started
4. Caravan
5. Satin Doll