The story goes that Billy Strayhorn was following Edward Kennedy Ellington's instructions to get to his Sugar Hill Harlem home via the public transportation in Manhattan when he thought of the lyrics and thence composed this tune! The two thought very much alike musically!
A fine inventive rendering of the Duke Ellington standard..... Sadly New York City trumpeter Lew Soloff RIP, March 2015--HIS train has come off the rails.
Charnett moffett espectacular contrabajista con temperamento “electrico” siempre espectacular este grupo lo integren los músicos que lo integren. Pero para mi la mejor base rítmica que tuvo Manhattan jazz quintet fue sin duda la de Steve Gadd y Eddie Gomez!
This is my all time #1 fave.of swing jazz tune!!! And I've gotta say...the arrangement was very very good! Some are complaining that it's too fast! I understand , but it's definitely adding the THRILLS !!! And this is 2018...well..done while back then but still 21st century.Unfortunately we don't hear jazz , or swing band music playing much anymore! I WANT JAZZ & SWING BANDS TO COME BACK!!! But this generation people got no idea! And thought this version will be MORE APPROACHABLE to new people NOW & MORE APPROPRIATE to THIS GENERATION? Especially IT IS TASTEFULLY DONE! YES THEY COULD'VE SLOWED IT DOWN A BIT! BUT SERIOUSLY ...THE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR the original tempo? I love the trumpet solo.bass solo & sax solo.! The drums sound very very good! The piano sounds pretty.All sounds very good! Again the tempo is somewhat questionable & debatable. Lol.But over all FUN & ENTERTAINING! AND MAN THE BASS! LOL. HIS FINGERS!!! LOL.Just IMAGINE , THOUGH, IF THIS WAS AT A SLOWER , OR THE ORIGINAL TEMPO & HAD ALL THE SOLOS in ...WOULD YOU HAVE LISTENED !? No !? I would had! As I am a very very musical person & a singer & composer...& LOVE THIS PIECE! But , I truly doubt if many would had the patience to do so if this was done at the original tempo with all the solos!If this was in the '90's ,or even around 2000 , then I would had complained about the speed . 2005 that would had been around the time...music changed a lot ? .But in 2018 , & with all those solos done , then I think the tempo was appropriate!Again.. Very tastefully done.So all good! If the arrangement was poor, then it would had been aweful.But they did it right !
Incredible trumpet. In your face sax and bass. I wish the pianist would keep comping during the bass solo. I shouldn't have to imagine that in order to make sense of things. But -- sigh -- it's traditional. At least he got the drummer.
