The Great Summit
Encyclopedia
The Great Summit: The Master Takes is a 2001 Blue Note
album by Duke Ellington
and Louis Armstrong
.
It's a reissue of the two Roulette
album
s Together For The First Time (track 1–10) and The Great Reunion (track 11–17) from 1961. (These two albums have later resurfaced as a Roulette double-LP entitled The Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong Years and in 1990 as a remastered CD called Together for the First Time/The Great Reunion.)
The contents of this album is an all-Ellington program performed by himself and Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars. These 17 selections are the entire result of the only studio meeting by Duke Ellington
and Louis Armstrong
.
--
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
album by Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
.
It's a reissue of the two Roulette
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s Together For The First Time (track 1–10) and The Great Reunion (track 11–17) from 1961. (These two albums have later resurfaced as a Roulette double-LP entitled The Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong Years and in 1990 as a remastered CD called Together for the First Time/The Great Reunion.)
The contents of this album is an all-Ellington program performed by himself and Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars. These 17 selections are the entire result of the only studio meeting by Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
.
The Great Summit: The Master Takes
All songs composed by Duke Ellington solely (except where otherwise stated).- Duke's PlaceC 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....
— 5:03 - I'm Just a Lucky So and SoI'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" is a 1945 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Mack David.-Notable recordings:*Billy Eckstine & Quincy Jones 1959...
— 3:09
Lyrics by Mack DavidMack DavidMack David was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning from the early 1940s through the early 1970s. Mack was credited with writing lyrics and/or music for over one thousand songs...
. - CottontailCotton 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...
— 3:42 - Mood IndigoMood Indigo"Mood Indigo" is a jazz composition and song, with music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard with lyrics by Irving Mills.-Disputed authorship:In a 1987 interview, Mitchell Parish claimed to have written the lyrics:...
— 3:57
Co-composer is Barney BigardBarney BigardAlbany Leon Bigard, aka Barney Bigard, was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, though primarily known for the clarinet....
with lyrics by Irving MillsIrving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
. - Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me — 2:38
Lyrics by Bob RussellBob Russell (songwriter)Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
. - The Beautiful American — 3:08
- Black and Tan FantasyBlack and Tan FantasyBlack and Tan is a musical short film written by Dudley Murphy that exhibits the ideas and thoughts of The Harlem Renaissance Movement. Duke Ellington's musical talents along with Fredi Washington's extraordinary acting potential make this movie a good example of the emergence of artistic culture...
— 3:59
Co-composer is James "Bubber" Miley. - Drop Me Off in HarlemDrop Me Off in Harlem"Drop Me Off in Harlem" is a 1933 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Nick Kenny.A.H. Lawrence writes that the song originated from an off the cuff remark from Ellington. Nick Kenny had hailed a taxi, and offered to share it with Ellington. Kenny asked "Where to, Duke?", and...
— 3:49
Lyrics by Nick KennyNick Kenny (poet)Nicholas Aloysius Kenny was a syndicated newspaper columnist, a song lyricist and a poet who wrote light verse in the Edgar Guest tradition.-Biography:...
. - The Mooche — 3:38
Lyrics by Irving MillsIrving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
. - In a Mellow ToneIn a Mellow Tone"In a Mellow Tone", also known as "In a Mellotone", is a 1939 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Milt Gabler. The song was based on the 1917 standard "Rose Room" by Art Hickman and Harry Williams...
— 3:48
Lyrics by Milt GablerMilt GablerMilton Gabler was an American record producer, responsible for many innovations in the recording industry of the 20th century.-Early life:...
. - It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for...
— 3:58
Lyrics by Irving MillsIrving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
. - Solitude(In My) Solitude" Solitude" is a 1934 jazz standard, composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills.- Notable recordings :* Paul Robeson, bass with orchestra. Recorded in London on October 18, 1937...
— 4:55
Lyrics by Eddie DeLangeEddie DeLangeEddie DeLange was an American bandleader and lyricist. Famous artists who recorded some of DeLange's songs include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.-Biography:...
and Irving MillsIrving MillsIrving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
. - Don't Get Around Much AnymoreDon't Get Around Much Anymore"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Bob Russell. The tune was originally titled "Never No Lament" and was first recorded by Ellington in 1940 as a big band instrumental...
— 3:31
Lyrics by Bob RussellBob Russell (songwriter)Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
. - I'm Beginning to See the LightI'm Beginning to See the Light"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, written by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James, and published in 1944. Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots recorded a version in 1945 that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945, reaching #5...
— 3:37
Co-composers are Don George, Johnny HodgesJohnny HodgesJohn Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges was an American alto saxophonist, best known for his solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years, except the period between 1932–1946 when Otto Hardwick generally played first chair...
and Harry JamesHarry JamesHenry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
. - Just Squeeze Me — 3:58
Lyrics by Lee Gaines. - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)"I Got It Bad " is a pop and jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster published in 1941...
— 5:31
Co-composer is Paul Francis WebsterPaul Francis WebsterPaul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated sixteen times for the award.-Biography:...
. - Azalea — 5:02
The Making of the Great Summit
Already on August 1, 2000 Blue Note had released the compilation The Great Summit: The Complete Sessions, which contained the reissue above plus a second CD with alternate takes (rehearsals, false starts etc). The alternate takes were digitally remastered in 2000.- In a Mellow ToneIn a Mellow Tone"In a Mellow Tone", also known as "In a Mellotone", is a 1939 jazz standard composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Milt Gabler. The song was based on the 1917 standard "Rose Room" by Art Hickman and Harry Williams...
— 4:15 - I'm Beginning to See the LightI'm Beginning to See the Light"I'm Beginning to See the Light" is a popular song and jazz standard, written by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James, and published in 1944. Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots recorded a version in 1945 that was on the pop song hits list for six weeks in 1945, reaching #5...
— 6:56 - Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me — 5:42
- Don't Get Around Much AnymoreDon't Get Around Much Anymore"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Bob Russell. The tune was originally titled "Never No Lament" and was first recorded by Ellington in 1940 as a big band instrumental...
— 10:43 - Duke's PlaceC 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....
— 4:18 - Drop Me Off in HarlemDrop Me Off in Harlem"Drop Me Off in Harlem" is a 1933 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Nick Kenny.A.H. Lawrence writes that the song originated from an off the cuff remark from Ellington. Nick Kenny had hailed a taxi, and offered to share it with Ellington. Kenny asked "Where to, Duke?", and...
— 4:57 - I'm Just a Lucky So and SoI'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" is a 1945 song composed by Duke Ellington, with lyrics written by Mack David.-Notable recordings:*Billy Eckstine & Quincy Jones 1959...
— 4:37 - Azalea — 8:05
- Black and Tan FantasyBlack and Tan FantasyBlack and Tan is a musical short film written by Dudley Murphy that exhibits the ideas and thoughts of The Harlem Renaissance Movement. Duke Ellington's musical talents along with Fredi Washington's extraordinary acting potential make this movie a good example of the emergence of artistic culture...
— 7:13 - Band Discussion on CottontailCotton 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...
— 1:08
Personnel
- Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
(piano) - Louis ArmstrongLouis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
(trumpet, vocals) - Barney BigardBarney BigardAlbany Leon Bigard, aka Barney Bigard, was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist, though primarily known for the clarinet....
(clarinet) - Danny BarcelonaDanny BarcelonaDanny Barcelona was an international jazz-band drummer for Louis Armstrong's All-Stars band. He was a Filipino-American born in Waipahu a community of sugar cane plantation families East of Honolulu, Hawaii...
(drums) - Mort Herbert (bass)
- Trummy YoungTrummy YoungJames "Trummy" Young was a trombonist in the swing era. Although he was never really a star or a bandleader himself, he did have one hit with his version of "Margie," which he played and sang with Jimmie Lunceford's Time-Life Orchestra.-Biography:Growing up in Savannah, GA and Richmond, VA, Young...
(trombone)
Credits
- Bob Thiele (producer)
- Ray Hall (recording engineer)
- Arnold Meyers (cover photograph))
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- Michael Cuscuna (reissue producer)
- Ron McMaster (remix and remaster)