Concert Critique

Name:
Professor’s name:
Course number:
Date:
The Great Paris Concert 1963
This is a recording of a series of live performances by Duke Ellington and his jazz orchestra in Paris in February 1963. Born in 1899, Duke Ellington was a great composer, pianist and the band leader of his jazz orchestra, which composed of a 10-piece ensemble CITATION Tuc95 p 3 l 2057 (Tucker and Ellington 3). Some of the most notable jazz musicians in the band were Cootie Williams (trumpeter), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophonist), Rex Stewart (cornetist), and Harry Carney (baritone saxophonist). The band played together in the 1920s through the early 1930s before some members left to pursue their careers.
Duke Ellington and his band performed 26 of their earlier recordings with great virtuosity. Described as one of the greatest music composers of the 20th century, Duke wrote more than 200 jazz compositions that he recorded with his orchestra. The concert showcased solos from some of the greatest jazz musicians of their time, with a great variety of harmony and time changes, and tonal color. The show begins with Kinda Dukish where Duke plays a cheerful piano introduction that sets the tone for a dancing mood. The rest of the ensemble finally joins in Rockin in Rhythm keeping the happy groove through play. Most notable in Rockin in Rhythm is the trumpeter Cat Anderson, who delightfully plays the high notes that made him famous. This was the perfect introduction to a program of magnificent composit…