Happy Birthday, Duke! the Birthday Sessions, Vol. 5 (CD) by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra

Includes liner notes by Stanley Dance.

The liner notes neglect to mention in what year this April 29th birthday performance was recorded, but given the orchestra's lineup and set choices, 1953 or 1954 is likely. Unlike the majority of recently-discovered live tapes, this dance at Portland's McElroy's Ballroom was professionally recorded (by the great engineer Wally Heider) and so the sound is astonishing. This five-CD series is easily the best representation we have of Ellington's early-'50s lineup in an intimate ballroom dance setting.

The set features an interesting pair of period pieces reflecting then-current fashions, "Bunny Hop Mambo" and a Cubanesque take on "Isle of Capri," followed by vocalist Jimmy Grissom's showcase on "Flamingo," "I Got It Bad" and "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So." The night ends with a nine-minute powerhouse group improvisation called "Ballin' the Blues" which swings as furiously as anything in Ellington's catalogue. This CD is essential to all fans of Ellington's big band work.