The Duke at Fargo, 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Edition
In 1940, some young fans with a recorder captured one of Duke's best bands on a typical road engagement in North Dakota, and the two-and-a-half hour souvenir they took home is justly prized. Even allowing for some cropped intros or endings, and occasional off-mike vocals by Ivie Anderson and Herb Jeffries, this is great Ellington and one of the great live jazz records.The Duke at Fargo, 1940: Special 60th Anniversary Editionreally captures the rough-and-tumble of a swing-era dance date: current pop hits mingle with Ducal classics; on one segment you hear a radio announcer introducing tunes for a local broadcast; by the last set, the band sounds happily smashed. In 1940, Ellington was at his peak as composer, his charts rich with intersecting section parts, vectoring instrumental voices, and brashly intricate harmonies. His great soloists include tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, bassist Jimmy Blanton, and new arrival Ray Nance on trumpet, violin, and vocals. The thin cardboard tall-box is dowdy and underwhelming, but what's inside is what counts.--Kevin Whitehead