Great Times!
Encyclopedia
Great Times! is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington
's featuring duet performances with his arranger and musical partner Billy Strayhorn
originally recorded for the Mercer label in 1950 and later released on Riverside
with tracks from an additional session with Oscar Pettiford
.
awarded the album 4 stars calling it "quite fascinating... most memorable. Intriguing music".
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's featuring duet performances with his arranger and musical partner Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
originally recorded for the Mercer label in 1950 and later released on Riverside
Riverside Records
Riverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
with tracks from an additional session with Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
.
Reception
The Allmusic review by Scott YanowScott Yanow
Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
awarded the album 4 stars calling it "quite fascinating... most memorable. Intriguing music".
Track listing
:All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated- "Cotton TailCotton Tail"Cotton Tail" is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. It is based on the rhythm changes from George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The first Ellington recording is notable for the driving tenor saxophone solo by Ben Webster. Originally an instrumental, "Cotton Tail" later had lyrics written for it by...
" - 2:55 - "C Jam BluesC Jam Blues"C Jam Blues" is a jazz standard composed in 1942 by Duke Ellington and performed by countless other musicians, such as Dave Grusin and Django Reinhardt. As the title suggests, the piece follows a twelve-bar blues form in the key of C major....
" (Barney BigardBarney BigardAlbany Leon Bigard, aka Barney Bigard, was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, though primarily known for the clarinet....
, Ellington) - 2:58 - "Flamingo" (Edmund AndersonEdmund AndersonSir Edmund Anderson , Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Elizabeth I, sat as judge at the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots.-Life:The Anderson family originated in Scotland and then came to Northumberland...
, Ted GrouyaTed GrouyaTed Grouya born Theodor Grouya in Bucharest, Romania, was a composer who studied composition with Nadia Boulanger...
) - 3:00 - "Bang-Up Blues" - 3:08
- "Tonk" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 2:59
- "Johnny Come Lately" (Strayhorn) - 3:01
- "In a Blue Summer Garden" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 4:06
- "Great Times" - 2:56
- "Perdido" (Juan TizolJuan TizolJuan Tizol was a Puerto Rican trombonist and composer.He was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Music was a large part of his life from an early age. His first instrument was the violin, but he soon switched to valve trombone, the instrument he would play throughout his career...
) -2:57 - "Take the "A" Train" (Strayhorn) - 2:20
- "Oscalypso" (Oscar PettifordOscar PettifordOscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
) - 2:44 - "Blues for Blanton" - 2:36
- Recorded in New York on September 13 (tracks 9-12), October 3 (tracks 5-8) & November (tracks 1-4), 1950
Personnel
- Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Billy StrayhornBilly StrayhornWilliam Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
- piano (tracks 1-8), celesteCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
(tracks 10 & 11) - Oscar PettifordOscar PettifordOscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
- celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
(tracks 9-12) - Wendell MarshallWendell MarshallWendell Marshall was an American jazz double-bassist.Marshall was Jimmy Blanton's cousin. He studied at Lincoln University, then served in the Army during World War II. Following his discharge, he played with Stuff Smith, then relocated to New York City, where he began playing with Mercer Ellington...
(tracks 1-4), Joe Schulman (tracks 5-8), Lloyd TrotmanLloyd TrotmanLloyd Trotman , born in Boston, was a jazz bassist who backed numerous jazz, dixieland, doo-wop and R&B artists in the 50s and 60s. He provided the famous bass line on Ben E. King's "Stand by Me"....
(tracks 9-12) - bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Jo JonesJo JonesJo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
(tracks 9-12), Unknown (tracks 1-4) - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....