Ellington Berlin 1959 CD

What we have here is the welcome memento of the Duke Ellington's 1959 European tour. Berlin's Sportpalast is not a concert hall and during the cursed Nazi reign often was the site of speeches by Hitler and his fellow criminals, but the hall can be said to have been thoroughly purified by sounds of jazz by the time of this concert. The music starts with the Ellington Medley, by then a standard concert opener in varied embodiments. Critics often chided Duke for (in their opinion) overdoing this staple, but in fact it was not only a clever way of dealing with what undoubtedly would have been audience requests for beloved Ducal standards, but also a way of celebrating the continued life of his musical heritage. The concert has been remastered to modern standards, and is a must own for any Ellington fan.

1. Black and Tan Fantasy 2. Creole Love Call 3. The Mooche 4. Newport Up 5. Such Sweet Thunder 6. Sonnet to Hank Cinq 7. Medley: Kinda Dukish / Rockin' in Rhythm 8. El Gato 9. Flirtibird 10. Things Ain't What They Used to Be 11. Skin Deep 12. Vip Boogie 13. Jam Wih Sam 14. St. Louis Blues 15. Bill Bailey 16. Walkin' and Singin' the Blues 17. Don't Get Around Much Anymore 18. Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me 19. I Got It Bad 20. In a Sentimental Mood 21. Mood Indigo 22. I'm Beginning to See the Light 23. Sophisticated Lady 24. Caravan 25. Solitude 26. Satin Doll 27. Medley: I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart / Don't Get Around Much Anymore 28. Basin Street Blues