Duke Ellington - Live from the 1956 Stratford - Music & Performance - CD

Includes liner notes by Rex Stewart.

The first few years of the '50s were not the most successful period for big bands like Duke Ellington's. Yet the last part of the decade would bring the triumph of the Newport Jazz Festival and a number of fine works that Ellington composed with Billy Strayhorn. This live recording from 1956 was made during a transitional phase, as the Duke's sound was in the midst of an evolution.

The set here is made up of a mixture of hits and lesser-known gems and oddities. "Clarinet Melodrama" features a great contribution from Jimmy Hamilton and sounds almost like the Duke might have written it for a soundtrack. Trombonist Britt Woodman shines on the Monk-tinged "Theme Trambene." LIVE FROM THE 1956 STRATFORD FESTIVAL is a fine collection, but one more appropriate for the serious Ellington fan.