BLUEBLUE LIGHTLIGHT THE NEWSLETTERTHE NEWSLETTER OF THE OF DUKE THE DUKEELLINGTON ELLINGTON SOCIETY SOCIETY (UK) (UK) VOLUME 19 NUMBER 1 G SPRING 2012 KAY DAVIS 1920-2012 Nil Significat Nisi Pulsatur HONORARY MEMBERS OF DESUK In alphabetical order Alice Babs Art Baron Buster Cooper Herb Jeffries John Lamb Vincent Prudente Monsignor John Sanders Joe Temperley Editorial Clark Terry Good things to look forward to this spring include Ellington 2012 in Woking (23-27 May). This will be the fifth conference in this country – Derek Else only in the USA have there been more – and the organisers are now very HONORARY MEMBERS SADLY NO busy indeed, putting together the final details. There’s lots of LONGER WITH US information on page 1 opposite about the programme, and also about Bill Berry (13 October 2002) how to register for all (or if you can’t manage that, part) of the event. On Harold Ashby (13 June 2003) a sadder note, I have to record the recent deaths of Kay Davis, star of Jimmy Woode (23 April 2005) E97; and Leeds member Mike Hardisty, who joined DESUK at the same Humphrey Lyttelton (25 April 2008) conference. Louie Bellson (14 February 2009) Joya Sherrill (28 June 2010) * This year’s DESUK AGM will be in Woking on the Sunday morning of Letters or editorial material should Ellington 2012, as in earlier conference years when we held it in Leeds be addressed to: and London. The arrangement enables overseas members here for the Roger Boyes, 9 Chester Place, Great conference to take part in one of our meetings, and AGM regulars to Barton, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2TL meet a wider range of the DESUK membership. AGM details are on Phone: 01284-788200 Email: [email protected] page 6, and as usual live music will follow the meeting. DESUK Website: * http://www.dukes-place.co.uk If you’ll miss your usual day out in London as April turns into May, there’s a special treat in the last weekend of April. Mike Westbrook is Deadline for acceptance of copy for staging two concerts with his Big Band at its home in South Devon. the next issue of Blue Light (Volume Works by Ellington and Strayhorn will be at the heart of the programmes 19/2) is Friday 1 June 2012 of the two concerts, along with Mike’s own compositions, including of course his celebration On Duke’s Birthday, parts of which the band will INDEX perform on the day itself, Sunday 29 April. * Inside Front Cover: Editorial If you’ve still to renew your DESUK membership for 2012, now’s the 1 Ellington 2012 time. Keep our Treasurer Victor happy by sending him your 2 On Record subscription. It is always pleasant to hear from you when you renew, and 6 Mike Westbrook; DESUK AGM a short letter accompanying Alan Cohen’s subs brought good news about 7 Mike Westbrook’s Five Spot his health. After a long period of severely restricted mobility following a 8 Kay Davis 9 Ben Gazzara fall, Alan tells us he is now doing much better. In the 1970s he and 10 Turning Point fellow member Brian Priestley put together Black Brown And Beige, by 11 Role Model or Synaesthete? transcribing the recordings and using Tempo Music’s published score, 12 Desert Island Duke; Letters then toured it around the country and recorded it. The recording, on 13 Performance Vocalion CDLK 4252, is still available at £4.99. A new book, Duke 14 Websight Ellington’s Century, by David Schiff, is a reminder (if we needed one) of 15 Books: Norman Granz this seminal work’s key position in Duke’s oeuvre. 16 Wendy’s Column Roger Boyes 17 The Beautiful Americans 18 Audited Accounts 2010/11 19 Events Calendar 20 Treasurer’s Notes; Contacting Late News DAVID SCHIFF FOR WOKING DESUK As BL was about to go to press Ellington 2012 announced that Inside Back Cover: Draft AGM David Schiff, author of Duke Ellington’s Century, Minutes 2011 (for 2012 AGM) will be taking part at Woking. Outer Back Cover: DESUK Comm. Minutes 15 October 2011 Details on the E2012 website. SATURDAY MAY 26th DAYTIME (9.30 am - 5 pm) – Bjarne Busk “Conference Launch: My People, Expanded” A new Storyville CD will be released to coincide with Ellington 2012. – Frank Griffith “The Clarinettists” – Matt Cooper “Duke Ellington: The Pianist” Professor from Eastern Oregon University expands on his doctoral thesis. – Frank Griffith (reeds) & Matt Cooper (piano) Friends from Oregon in a recital performance. – Darius Brubeck “Dave and the Duke” Darius introduces a specially recorded interview with his father Dave Brubeck on sharing the success of jazz in the 1950s. THE DARIUS BRUBECK QUARTET (7 pm) £18 th SUNDAY MAY 27 st DAYTIME (10 am - 5 pm) The 21 International – DESUK AGM (Woking's council chamber) – JAZZ BRUNCH (The Lightbox) Jam session hosted by Simon Cook (piano). Duke Ellington – Corine Dhondee “The Queen's Suite” Study Group Conference A screening of her recent documentary. rd BANQUET (7 pm) WEDNESDAY MAY 23 RECEPTION & REGISTRATION (6 pm) THE CLAUDE BOLLING TRIO (8.30 pm) £15 With a finger buffet for all our delegates, a chance to mingle, meet old friends and make new ones. Darius Brubeck's concert is underwritten by New Woking Jazz Circle. Claude Bolling's concert is presented by Maggie Black Productions. THE AGE OF ELLINGTON (8 pm) Full registration (including all concerts): £195. A brief history of Duke: six mini-presentations, one on Banquet £25. Day registration £60 per day. Cheques each of Duke's six decades of work, 1920s-1970s. payable to Ellington 2012 to 2 Julian Close, Woking, th GU21 3HD. Geoff Smith: (+44) (0)1483 769051. THURSDAY MAY 24 DAYTIME (9.30 am - 5 pm) Or register online at www.Ellington2012.org. There – Introduction to the Conference. you will find updates, and information on travel and – Eunice Malloch “Oldham, 1985” accommodation. Your registration will make the The start of the UK Study Group conferences. conference an even greater success: we plan for further – Luca Bragalini “Three Black Kings (and music and – with your early support – alumni a Duke) in a Symphonic Celebration” appearances. The daytime programme is almost Including a new recording of Duke's late work complete, with just a few slots remaining to be filled. “Celebration.” Conference and concerts (except Sunday morning) at CIVIC RECEPTION & CONCERT (6.30 pm) the HG Wells Centre, Church Street East, Woking, THE GUILDHALL JAZZ BAND AND CHOIR GU21 6HJ. Concert Box Office (credit cards, no directed by MARTIN HATHAWAY booking fee, free postage): (+44) (0)1483 712710. perform A Drum Is a Woman. I enclose £195 full fee, or £220 with Banquet. th FRIDAY MAY 25 DAYTIME (9.30 am - 5 pm) Name ______________________________________. – Ken Steiner “Wild Throng Dances Madly in Cellar Club II” Address – Bill Saxonis “Reflections on Duke and His ____________________________________. World: The Oral History Project” Email ______________________________________. – Louis Tavecchio “Duke in Toronto” THE FRANK GRIFFITH NONET (8 pm) £15 All delegates: please let us have your up-to-date email addresses so we can bring you further news. The review by Hugh Rainey is reproduced with the kind permission On Record of the author, and the Editor of Jazz Journal. DUKE ELLINGTON Personnels throughout are the Ellington Orchestra of THE COMPLETE ORCHESTRAL SUITES the day (1931 to 1960); full details are in the booklet. For dates and provenance see next paragraph; again, details are in the booklet. United Archives NUA07 On CD1 the 1930s works are the studio recordings of 1931, 1935 and 1937. Symphony In Black is the 1934 film soundtrack, and Black, Brown and Beige the late 1944 Victor excerpts. The Perfume Suite is also the Victor, misdated to May. On CD2 New World A- Comin’ is from the Evansville Treasury Show of 19 (not 16) June 1945, banded into pts.1 and 2 because taken from the two-sided V-disc, which omitted Duke’s spoken introduction. The Deep South Suite is the 1946 (not 1945) Carnegie Hall performance, The Beautiful Indians and Overture To A Jam Session are the Musicrafts, and the Liberian Suite is the 1947 Columbia. CD3 has the November 1948 Carnegie Hall Symphomaniac, and the Columbia Tattooed Bride, CD1: Creole Rhapsody (pts.1 and 2); Creole Rhapsody Harlem, Controversial Suite and Newport Suite. (pts.1 and 2); Reminiscing In Tempo (pts.1-4); The Newport Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue Symphony In Black; Diminuendo In Blue; Crescendo In and Columbia’s A Drum Is A Woman recordings Blue; Black, Brown And Beige (Work Song; Come occupy CD4. CD5 stays with Columbia for Such Sunday; The Blues; Three Dances); Perfume Suite Sweet Thunder and Nutcracker, and ends back in (Balcony Serenade; Strange Feeling; Dancers In Love; 1946 for the Perfume Suite music from George Pal’s Coloratura). (74:07) animated film Date With Duke. CD2: New World A Comin’ (pts.1 and 2); Deep South At first glance this French compilation seems a daft Suite (Magnolias Dripping In Molasses; Hearsay (Orson idea. Much of this music is always available on one or Welles); Nobody Was Looking; Happy Go Lucky Local); The Beautiful Indians (Hiawatha; Minnehaha); Overture more current issues, and the better ones of the later works To A Jam Session (pts.1 and 2); Liberian Suite (I Like add supplementary tracks of alternate takes and/or related The Sunrise; Dances 1-5). (67:14) recordings. So is there value in compiling a five-CD set CD3: The Symphomaniac (Symphonic Or Bust; How of Duke’s orchestral suites down to 1960? The answer You Sound); The Tattooed Bride; A Tone Parallel To has to turn on price, convenience and quality of Harlem; The Controversial Suite (Before My Time; preparation and presentation, though there is one genuine Later); Newport Jazz Festival Suite (Festival Junction; ‘first’.