Duke Ellington - http://desguin.net/sonotheque/1_JAZZ/1_ELLINGTON/Duke Ellingt...

Sonothèque//Ellingtonia//A Drum Is A Woman

(LP CBS 84404 mono, 1956)

Duke Ellington - A Drum Is A Woman Track Title Year Length Comment Mode Codec Bitrate Size 1 Part I - A Drum Is A Woman part 1 1956 03:36 Mono Vorbis 142 4,02 MB 2 Part I - Rhythm Pum Te Dum 1956 02:54 Mono Vorbis 173 3,94 MB 3 Part I - What Else Can You Do With A Drum 1956 01:51 Mono Vorbis 150 2,35 MB 4 Part II - New Orleans 1956 02:30 Mono Vorbis 153 3,10 MB 5 Part II - Hey, Buddy Bolden 1956 04:51 Mono Vorbis 152 5,64 MB 6 Part II - Carribee Joe part 1 1956 03:57 Mono Vorbis 146 4,50 MB 7 Part II - Congo square 1956 04:55 Mono Vorbis 156 5,85 MB 8 Part III - A Drum Is A Woman part 2 1956 02:48 Mono Vorbis 145 3,27 MB 9 Part III - You Better Know It 1956 02:45 Mono Vorbis 150 3,31 MB 10 Part III - Madam Zajj 1956 02:48 Mono Vorbis 166 3,69 MB 11 Part III - Ballet Of The Flying Saucers 1956 05:34 Mono Vorbis 150 6,35 MB 12 Part IV - Zajj's Dream 1956 03:02 Mono Vorbis 171 4,09 MB 13 Part IV - Rhumbop 1956 02:17 Mono Vorbis 143 2,70 MB 14 Part IV - Carribee Joe part 2 1956 03:06 Mono Vorbis 154 3,79 MB 15 Part IV - Finale 1956 00:43 Mono Vorbis 138 1,08 MB 16 Pomegranate (bonus track) 1956 02:47 Mono Vorbis 142 3,20 MB 16 file(s) Length: 00:50:24 Size: 60,89 MB

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DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA - A DRUM IS A WOMAN

During his long and prolific career, Duke Ellington composed music for concerts ranging from the most prestigious venues to dance halls. He also wrote for the theatre, for movies (with and without him on screen), and, of course, for records. The work contained on this , however, originates from an early television special. "Another great opportunity occurred later in the year (1956)," wrote Duke Ellington in his memoirs titled "Music Is my Mistress", when we presented A Drum Is a Woman on the 'U.S. Steel Hour'. This musical fantasy or allegory told the story of jazz in terms of the adventures of Madam Zajj and Carribee Joe, from the Caribbean to the moon via Congo Square and Filly-Second Street. It was in four parts with a dozen selections, two reprises, and a finale. Extra percussion, a harp, and the voices of Margaret Tynes, , and Ozzie Bailey were used, but what could not be experienced on the album was the radiant presence of Carmen de Lavallade, who danced so superbly in the television version."

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The work was an equal collaboration between Ellington and Strayhom. As Strayhorn himself put it: "I suppose the largest hunk of collaboration was A Drum Is a Woman in whi ch we just kind of did everything. He wrote lyrics, I wrote lyrics. He wrote music, and I wrote music. He arranged, and I arranged". The show was extremely successful and enjoyed a wide audience. This was noteworthy considering that in 1957, an all-black television show was not a common event.

Original liner notes: A DRUM IS A WOMAN DUKE ELLINGTON and his Orchestra Featuring Margaret Tynes, Joya Sherrill, Ozzie Bailey and chorus

A Drum Is a Woman is a musical fantasy paralleling the history of the origins of jazz. As such, it is based upon Ellington's own definition of jazz and expressed in the very personal, highly original language Ellington has always used to play and speak that considerable segment of jazz music Ellington himself invented.

The plan to tell the story of jazz in terms of Ellington's music and his band dates back to 1941 when Duke was asked by Orson Welles to prepare such a work. The project was set aside after little more than an outline bad been prepared, and this outline was dug out and completely revamped to serve as the starting point for three months of intense writing and rewriting. Duke thought then and still thinks of jazz in terms of a woman, many women, and a drum, many drums. And so, the title of this work might well be Jazz Is a Drum Is a Woman. And Ellington states himself, "Jazz must have humour. I never heard a really great jazz musician who didn't have a sense of humour."

The story of the growth of this work is in many ways the story of Duke and his remarkable creative energy. It was written during a series of one-night stands by the Ellington Orchestra in the South and West -in hotel rooms, in the backseat of 's car as Duke drove to and from these dates, and in the recording and editing studios. It first appeared on scraps of paper bulging from the pockets of Ellington's suits, and later it turned up on the musicians' stands on scraps of manuscript. At one date in Camden, New Jersey, Ellington completely baffled a large, dancing audience, by asking the band to play 16 measures of what has since become music in the "Congo Square" sequence. When I heard it, he turned to the bewildered dancers and explained, "I just wanted to hear how it sounded."

A Drum Is a Woman soon left the factual story of jazz behind, retaining only such basic jazz history as the African and Caribbean rhythmic origins, New Orleans beginnings of modern jazz, Buddy Bolden, and the spread of jazz to the world. For this is also the story of Carribee Joe and his drum, which became a woman "known as Madam Zajj." Joe, the primitive, wanted to remain with the jungle. Zajj, the sensuous. gaudy, sophisticated siren that is jazz wanted to travel. A Drum Is a Woman grew visually in Ellington's mind as it progressed musically. What follows is both program and guide to all there is to see and hear in what has become Duke Ellington's most ambitious creative achievement in many years.

SYNOPSIS:

After tracing the basic rhythms of jazz from Africa to America, Ellington himself introduces Carribee Joe in his West Indian jungle and describes the transformation of "an elaborately fabricated drum" into Madam Zajj. Zajj, who cannot take Joe with her, leaves for Barbados, where another Joe meets her and sings of her in the calypso "What Else Can You Do With a Drum". But Zajj moves on, and we meet her next on the arm of the King of the Zulus at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The King, in this instance, is the legendary trumpeter Buddy Bolden. Zajj also participates in the wild scene in Congo Square, which lasts until a new dawn in New Orleans.

Madam Zajj, still remembering Carribee Joe and calling vainly for him to join her, continues her travels, meeting "another Joe and another Joe" as she becomes more popular, more sought after, less and less the primitive woman she once was. Her career leads her out of New Orleans to the cities of the world, always gathering new acclaim and new foes as she goes, yet remembering only her original Carribee Joe. She goes beyond the world in her limitless success, beckoning to her "emerald rock garden" on the moon, again returning to enjoy universal acclaim and to dream of Carribee Joe.

In her dream, she lures Carribee Joe to New York and tempts him with the neon of 52nd Street. When Joe is exposed to the city, his own primitive music takes on aspects of modem jazz, for as Ellington points out, "You can take the boy out of the city, bur you can't take the city out of the boy." But Joe's trip to New York is only a dream, and Zajj is without him. Many Ices later, she is still gathering fame and fortune, while Joe remains in his jungle with his drums.

PART 1: A Drum Is a Woman: Featuring Margaret Tynes with Duke Ellington and Orchestra Rhythm Pum Te Dum: Featuring the Chorus and Orchestra. What Else Can You Do With a Drum: Featuring Ozzie Bailey with Duke Ellington and Orchestra.

PART 2: New Orleans: Featuring Duke Ellington, narrator, with , and the Orchestra. Hey, Buddy Bolden: Featuring Joya Sherrill, , , with Duke Ellington and Orchestra. Carrribee Joe: Featuring Joya Sherrill and Orchestra. Congo Square: Featuring Duke Ellington, narrator, , Russell Procope and Orchestra.

PART 3: A Drum is a Woman part 2: Featuring Margaret Tynes, , Duke Ellington and Orchestra. You Better Know It: Featuring Ozzie Bailey with Duke Ellington and Orchestra. Madam Zajj: featuring Duke Ellington, narrator, with Clark Terry. Ballet of the Flying Saucers: Featuring Johnny Hodges, , Duke Ellington and Orchestra.

PART 4: Zajj's Dream: Featuring Duke Ellington, narrator, with "Cat" Anderson, Soya Sherrill, Ray Nance and Orchestra. Rhumbop: Featuring Joya Sherrill with Duke Ellington and Orchestra. Carribee Joe part 2: Featuring Joya Sherrill with Duke Ellington and Orchestra. Finale: Featuring Margaret Tynes, Ozzie Bailey, Duke Ellington and Orchestra.

As was customary during any Ellington performance, the individual members of his orchestra are featured as soloists throughout A Drum is a Woman. But this record introduces two new stars to Ellington audiences and reintroduces singer Joya Sherrill. Joya, who first met Ellington when she came as a high school student to sing for him and was immediately hired, toured with the band during the mid-forties. She is now married, the mother of two children, and singing in clubs throughout the country whenever her career can continue without interfering with her family life.

Soprano Margaret Tynes has heretofore devoted her exciting voice exclusively to operatic and concert appearances. Although she has been heard by many audiences at New York's City Center, as well as in televised opera, she had never sung with jazz musicians before. Having accustomed herself to such surprises as seeing the Ellington brass section waving rubber plungers over the bells of their horns, she is now a through-going jazz fan Ozzie Bailey is a native New Yorker whose mother and father were born in Trinidad, which accounts for his convincing way with a calypso soog He has been singing in clubs for several years before this introduction to Ellington's great orchestra. As for his plans sing, and the oftener it's with Duke's band, the better. Irving Townsend

SIDE A:

PART 1: 1 A DRUM IS A WOMAN 3:36 2 RHYTHM PUM TE DUM 2:53 3 WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH A DRUM 1:50

PART 2: 4 NEW ORLEANS 2:29 5 HEY, BUDDY BOLDEN 4:51 6 CARRIBEE JOE 3:57 7 CONGO SQUARE 4:55

SIDE B:

PART 3: 1 A DRUM IS A WOMAN (PART 21 2:47 2 YOU BETTER KNOW IT 2:45 3 MADAM ZAJJ 2:47 4 BALLET OF THE FLYING SAUCERS 5:33

PART 4: 5 ZAJJ'S DREAM 3:02 6 RHUMBOP 2:16 7 CARRIBEE JOE PART 2 3:05 8 FINALE 0:43

Music, lyrics and arrangements by Duke Ellington and .

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: Clark Terry, , (tp), Ray Nance (tp, vln, vcl), , Britt Woodman, John Sanders (tb), (cl, ts), Russell Procope (as, cl), Johnny Hodges, (as), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Harry Carney (bar, cl, b-cl), Duke Ellington (p, narr), Betty Glamann (harp), (b), Sam Woodyard, Terry Snyder (d), Candido Camero (bgo), Margaret Tynes, Joya Sherrill, Ozzie Bailey (voc)

New York, September 17, 24, 25 & 28, and October 22 & 23, 1956. Tracks B2 & B8 recorded on December 6, 1956.

***** Down Boat (1957) 'A Drum Is a Woman is the most ambitious project attempted by Duke Ellington in years. It is a capsule history of the Negro in America, it is a history of the Ellington orchestra, and it is a folk opera that simply cries for decent stage presentation. But for more than any of these, it is a revealing self-portrait of Duke Ellington.' (Jack Tracy)

November 9, 2013 10:09 pm

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