JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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John Coltrane’s producer, Bob Thiele, persuaded Coltrane to record this release (on the Impulse label) with Duke Ellington in an effort to quiet jazz critics who were horrified at Coltrane’s innovations, labeling them “anti-jazz.” While the reasons for the date might be silly, the music is anything but.
For some of the tracks, Ellington and Coltrane play with Sir Duke’s rhythm section of bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Sam Woodyard. On others, these two giants use Coltrane’s classic rhythm section of Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.
The numbers with Sir Duke’s rhythm section have a delicacy about them that Coltrane matches. Even on the tracks with Garrison and Jones, Coltrane is relatively restrained, in the style of his Coltrane Plays the Blues release. Which is not to say that the music is boring. Far from it.
It becomes abundantly clear that Ellington knew exactly what Coltrane was up to. You can sense from the interaction of the two men that Coltrane came directly from the lineage of Duke, from the earliest days of jazz. So, producer Bob Thiele accomplished exactly what he set out to do, which was to show that Coltrane was playing “real” jazz, to show that Coltrane’s innovations were simply extensions of what already existed, not a whole new thing.
In truth, I find Coltrane’s improvisations to be especially cogent and disciplined on this date, which could mean that I’m as bad as those philistines that claimed he wasn’t playing jazz. I dunno.
On the other hand, Duke’s playing is simple, but that doesn’t mean simplistic. He never sounds like he’s just pounding out pre-existing patterns, but rather creating in the moment, always sounding melodic and swinging. Like the best musicians, Duke sings on his instrument.
In the end, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane is a delightful release, a joy to listen to, and a whole new way to listen to both of these great jazz men.
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