Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1963 but not released on the Atlantic label until 1976.[1] The album features members of Ellington's orchestra performing with Stephane Grappelli and Svend Asmussen. Trumpeter Ray Nance, who was also featured in the Ellington Orchestra as a singer and a violinist, plays violin throughout the session alongside Grappelli. Asmussen, whose primary instrument was violin, plays viola throughout the session. Each of the string players is given a solo feature: Grappelli plays "In a Sentimental Mood," Asmussen plays "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and Nance plays "Day Dream." For the remainder of the session, all three string players are featured soloing in turn.
| Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Recorded | February 22, 1963 Barclay Studios, Paris | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Duke Ellington chronology | ||||
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Reception
editThe Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 3½ stars and stated "The soloist and group interplay are gentle, swinging, and utterly and completely graceful and elegant. There is a lighthearted tenderness in this set that borders on sentimentality without ever going there. And the feeling is loose, relaxed, and full of warmth throughout".[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [3] |
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Duke Ellington except as noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take the "A" Train" | Billy Strayhorn | 4:22 |
| 2. | "In a Sentimental Mood" | Ellington, Manny Kurtz, Irving Mills | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" | Ellington, Bob Russell | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Day Dream" | Ellington, Strayhorn, John La Touche | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Cotton Tail" | Ellington, Jon Hendricks | 4:39 |
| 6. | "Pretty Little One" | Strayhorn | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Tricky's Licks" | 3:18 | |
| 8. | "Blues in C" | 3:54 | |
| 9. | "String Along with Strings" | 6:26 | |
| 10. | "Limbo Jazz" | 5:25 | |
| 11. | "The Feeling of Jazz" | Ellington, George T. Simon, Bobby Troup | 3:22 |
Personnel
editReferences
edit- ^ A Duke Ellington Panorama accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ a b Jurek, T. Allmusic Review accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 69. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.