Up in Duke’s Workshop
Encyclopedia
Up in Duke's Workshop is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington
which collects sessions recorded in 1969, 1970, 1971 & 1972 and was released on the Pablo
label in 1979.
awarded the album 2 stars and states "primarily for Duke Ellington completists and scholars. Some of the performances are runthroughs of works that would soon be discarded or rewritten while others are true obscurities... nothing all that essential or historic occurs and there are over 100 currently available Duke Ellington recordings that one would recommend first".
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
which collects sessions recorded in 1969, 1970, 1971 & 1972 and was released on the Pablo
Pablo Records
Pablo Records was a record label founded by Norman Granz in 1972, some ten years after he had sold his jazz labels to MGM Records....
label in 1979.
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 2 stars and states "primarily for Duke Ellington completists and scholars. Some of the performances are runthroughs of works that would soon be discarded or rewritten while others are true obscurities... nothing all that essential or historic occurs and there are over 100 currently available Duke Ellington recordings that one would recommend first".
Track listing
- All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated
- "Blem" - 6:55
- "Goof" - 3:14
- "Dick" - 2:57
- "Love Is Just Around the Corner" (Lewis Gensler, Leo RobinLeo RobinLeo Robin was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
) - 4:23 - "Bateau" - 5:23
- "Wanderlust" (Ellington, 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...
) - 6:26 - "Neo-Creole" - 3:52
- "Black Butterfly" (Ellington, 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...
) - 3:40 - "Mendoza" - 5:43
- Recorded at National Recording Studio in New York on April 25, 1969 (track 1), 23 May 1969 (track 2), June 20, 1969 (track 3), June 15, 1970 (track 4), December 9, 1970 (track 5), February 1, 1971 (track 6), February 3, 1971 (track 7), June 29, 1971 (track 8), December 6, 1972 (track 9).
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... - Wild Bill DavisWild Bill DavisWild Bill Davis was the stage name of American jazz pianist, organist, and arranger William Strethen Davis.Davis was born in Glasgow, Missouri...
- organ (track 4-7) - Cat Anderson (tracks 2, 4-8), Johnny ColesJohnny ColesJohnny Coles was an American jazz trumpeter.Coles spent his early career playing with R&B groups, including those of Eddie Vinson , Bull Moose Jackson , and Earl Bostic...
(track 9), Willie CookWillie CookWillie Cook was an American jazz trumpeter.Cook grew up in Chicago and learned to play violin before settling on trumpet as a teenager. He joined King Perry's band in the late 1930s, then replaced Charlie Parker in Jay McShann's band early in the 1940s...
(tracks 1-8), Mercer EllingtonMercer EllingtonMercer Kennedy Ellington was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger.Ellington was born in Washington, DC, the son of famous composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington...
(tracks 3, 4, 6-9), Money JohnsonMoney JohnsonHarold "Money" Johnson was an American jazz trumpeter.Johnson first played trumpet at age 15. He moved to Oklahoma City in 1936 and played with Charlie Christian and Henry Bridges before joining Nat Towles's band...
(tracks 3, 5 & 9), Jimmy OwensJimmy OwensJimmy Owens may refer to:*Jimmy and Carol Owens, songwriting team*Jimmy Owens , jazz trumpet player*Jimmy Owens , race car driver...
(track 2), Eddie PrestonEddie PrestonEddie Preston was an American jazz trumpeter.He was born in Dallas, Texas and died in Palm Coast, Florida.Preston began playing in big bands after World War II, and did stints with Lionel Hampton , Ray Charles , Louis Jordan , Duke Ellington , and Count Basie...
(track 6), Al Rubin (track 5), Fred StoneFred StoneFred Andrew Stone was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act on vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Biography:He was particularly famous for appearing...
(track 4), Cootie WilliamsCootie WilliamsCharles Melvin "Cootie" Williams was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Biography:...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Lawrence Brown (track 2), Buster CooperBuster CooperGeorge "Buster" Cooper is an American jazz trombonist.Cooper was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. He played in a territory band with Nat Towles in Texas in the late 1940s, and gigged with Lionel Hampton in 1953. He played in the house band at the Apollo Theater in New York City in the mid-1950s,...
(track 2), Tyree GlennTyree GlennEvan Tyree Glenn was an American trombone player.-Biography:...
, (track 9), Benny Green (tracks 1 & 3), Benny PowellBenny PowellBenny Powell was an African American jazz trombonist. He played both standard trombone and bass trombone....
(track 1), Julian PriesterJulian PriesterJulian Priester is an American jazz trombonist and composer.He has played with many artists including Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock.-Biography:...
(tracks 4-8), Vince Prudente (track 9), Malcolm Taylor (track 5), Booty WoodBooty WoodMitchell W. Wood, better known as Booty Wood was an American jazz trombonist.Wood played professionally on trombone from the late 1930s. He worked with Tiny Bradshaw and Lionel Hampton in the 1940s before joining the Navy during World War II. While there he played in a band with Clark Terry,...
(track 4-8) - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... - Chuck Connors (tracks 2 & 4-9) - bass trombone
- Russell ProcopeRussell ProcopeRussell Procope , an American clarinettist and alto saxophonist, was known best for his long tenure in the reed section of Duke Ellington's orchestra, where he was one of its two signature clarinet soloists....
- clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions... - Harold Minerve - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, alto - 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...
(tracks 2 & 3), Buddy Pearson (track 8), Norris TurneyNorris TurneyNorris Turney was an American jazz flautist and saxophonist.Turney began his career in the Midwest, playing in territory bands such as the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. He played with Tiny Bradshaw in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he played with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra in 1945-46...
(tracks 2-5) - alto saxophone - Paul GonsalvesPaul GonsalvesPaul Gonsalves, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue"...
, Harold AshbyHarold AshbyHarold Ashby was a jazz tenor saxophonist. He is perhaps known for his work with Duke Ellington's band and stylistic similarities with Ben Webster.He worked as a freelance musician after leaving the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1975, and took part in various reunions of...
- tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Harry CarneyHarry CarneyHarry Howell Carney was an American swing baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and bass clarinetist mainly known for his 45-year tenure in Duke Ellington's Orchestra. Carney started off as an alto player with Ellington, but soon switched to the baritone. His strong, steady saxophone often served as...
- baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece... - Joe BenjaminJoe BenjaminJoseph Rupert "Joe" Benjamin was an American jazz bassist.Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin played with numerous high-profile jazz musicians in a variety of idioms...
(track 4-8), Victor GaskinVictor GaskinRoderick Victor Gaskin, born The Bronx, New York, November 23, 1934 is a jazz bassist.Gaskin moved to Los Angeles in 1962 and started playing with Paul Horn and Red Mitchell before going on to become one of many bass players for the Jazz Crusaders...
(tracks 2 & 3), Paul Kondziela (tracks 1-3) - 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... - Rufus Jones - 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 ....