By Mike Joyce
Washington Post
October 31, 2005
"From Harlem to Hollywood," the
Duke Ellington celebration presented at the National Museum
of American History's Carmichael Auditorium on Saturday
night, began on a familiar note, with seven musicians drawn
from the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra inviting
listeners to "Take the 'A' Train." From that
point on, however, there was no telling what the next stop
would be.
Affably hosted by Loren Schoenberg, pianist,
reedman, educator and irrepressible raconteur, the program
wouldn't have disappointed anyone who wished to reminisce
in tempo. After all, there was no shortage of Ellington
hits, including largely improvised versions of "Satin
Doll," "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"
and "Caravan." But what made the concert special
were the wonderful obscurities that kept surfacing. Each
displayed another facet of Ellington's genius as the septet
charted his course from dance halls to film work. Schoenberg
noted that some of the pieces the Ellington band rarely
performed would have provided other orchestras with long-lasting
meal tickets. His point was colorfully underscored by such
sparkling gems as "Savoy Strut" and "Reflections
in D."
Some of the orchestral pieces were imaginatively
rearranged for four horns by Chris Madsen -- no small task
given the harmonic complexity of the original scores. Whether
playing alone or together, trumpeter John Eckert, trombonist
Willie Applewhite, alto saxophonist/clarinetist Marty Nau
and baritone saxophonist Scott Silbert consistently evoked
the maestro's extraordinary tonal palette. Schoenberg (on
piano, almost exclusively), bassist James King and drummer
Kenneth Kimery contributed additional idiomatic touches
and a vibrant swing pulse.
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