Amazing at Every Age
Duke Ellington - 1964
Talent, I think, is an oft-misunderstood commodity. I consider talent a gift that makes learning and developing proficiency at certain tasks easier for some than for most. Talent is a gift freely given without consideration of merit: you have certain talents whether you deserve them or not.
Talent is not to be confused with skill or proficiency, which are learned and earned. Skills are built with time and experience, repetition and rote. But talent is simply a gift, and it is yours whether you use it or not.
Which brings us to the acknowledgement of a still higher and nobler attribute, inspiration. Thomas Edison once famously observed that "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." And tiny though it may be, that spark of inspiration is what separates the creators from the replicators. It takes talent, skill and proficiency to play a piano concerto; it takes inspiration to write one.
I'm a replicator. I don't really have a creative bone in my body. I'm very good at picking up ideas and techniques from others, and then applying them or combining them to suit my purpose. But as far as actually creating something new? Once, maybe twice. In my entire life.
That is why it is such a rare pleasure to contemplate the work of Duke Ellington. His inspiration index was off the chart. He did occasionally steal musical ideas, but mainly from himself, borrowing phrases from one of his compositions to use in another. But, as a composer and arranger, his sheer creativity was immense. Fresh ideas and (at the time) unexpected turns in melody, harmony and chord progression are common hallmarks of his work.
Ellington assembled a group of musicians in his band and built a symbiotic relationship with each of them. His tunes and his arrangements drew inspiration from the players themselves, building on their individual strengths and talents. Many of his compositions were originally designed as showcase pieces for specific players, many of whom rose to lasting jazz stardom in the Ellington band.
As you might imagine, this created a set of circumstances so satisfying for the players that mere cash could not compete. Over the fifty-two years of the Ellington band's existence, the personnel remained incredibly stable. By 1945, many of Duke's sidemen had been with him for nearly twenty years.
Ellington left us in 1974, leaving a legacy of over one thousand original compositions, many of which have become jazz standards. In addition to the compositions themselves, his arrangements of those songs for his own orchestra were groundbreaking in their own right, and are studied today with as much interest as his compositions.
We will spend the first twenty minutes or so of Hour 1 this week enjoying a few gems from one of Duke's most productive periods - the early 1940s. We'll hear from famous Ellington sidemen Cootie Williams, Barney Bigard, Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Jimmy Hamilton, Joe Nanton, Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges. Hold on. The inspiration might just blow you away.
Hour 2 begins with a loving listen to some of the best sides from Glen Gray & the Casa Loma Orchestra. This was perhaps the best of the Dance Bands of the early 1930s. They played a combination of music that was either very hot or very sweet. But the players were so good that they could play both ends of the spectrum with equal appeal.
Casa Loma was renowned for its book of "killer-dillers," hot dance tunes that required extreme technical proficiency, with the arrangements calling for entire sections of the band to play intricate riffs and runs in unison at breakneck tempos. We'll hear some fine examples, including the original recordings of such flag-wavers as Casa Loma Stomp and Black Jazz. We'll also hear some of this band's beautiful ballad work, including the unique and impressive vocal stylings of Kenny Sargent.
Casa Loma started in 1929 and held together for nearly twenty years - that's like 110 in people years. Critics and commentators sometimes remarked that Casa Loma's records just didn't really capture the band's true excitement. If that's the case, I think I would pass out listening to them in person. I think you should listen and judge for yourself.
In addition to the opportunity to savor the delicat essen of Duke Ellington and the Casa Loma band, this week's In the Mood brings you tasty treats from Harry James, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and many others. The Andrews Sisters will harmonize, Ella Mae Morse will swing sassily, and Clyde McCoy will wah-wah the old Sugar Blues for us one more time. And please, try not to blush when Bix and the gang swing into Barnacle Bill the Sailor! It might be a good idea to get the kids away from the radio about 40 minutes into Hour 2. You've been warned.
I love In the Mood because, for two hours every week, we have no differences among us. At least none that matter. We can sit back together and enjoy this great music and the nostalgia that goes with it. We can listen with our kids and grandkids, delighting in their discovery. Know a young musician in the high school or college band? Call them and invite them to listen to the show with you. They NEED to hear this music!
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Above all, remember to be good to one another this week, and Keep Swinging!
Scott
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