AMERICAN MASTERS: A DUKE NAMED ELLINGTON (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series that explores the lives and achievements of America's most celebrated native-born and adopted artists, performers, and creative talent. This program profiles the career of jazz legend Duke Ellington through performance clips, interviews with Ellington and music professionals, film excerpts, and archival footage, accompanied by narration. The program begins with a summary Ellington's rise as a bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance with the help of music producer Irving Mills. Vocalist Adelaide Hall describes Ellington's role in making Harlem, especially the Cotton Club, a musical entertainment epicenter, and recalls their collaboration on "The Creole Love Call." As the United States was suffering through the Depression, Ellington and His Orchestra appeared in such films as "Check and Double Check," "Murder at the Vanities," and "Cabin in the Sky," contributing to a new, elegant image of African-Americans in the media. Trumpeter Clark Terry and pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith remark on Ellington's natural ability as a bandleader, and musicians Cootie Williams, Russell Procope, and Jimmy Hamilton describe the experience of working under Ellington. Included are performances of "Rockin' in Rhythm," "Perdido," and "Ad Lib on Nippon," with solos by Hamilton. Next, Terry discusses the addition of Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster to the orchestra, while drummer Louis Bellson and stylist Ron Smith discuss the tensions between Hodges and Ellington. Included are performances of "Timon of Athens," "Cottontail," and "All Too Soon," with solos by Hodges and Webster. Ellington comments on the challenges of touring with a large band, and vocalist Herb Jeffries explains that Ellington's frugality and shrewd business sense allowed the band to work continuously for so many years. The next segment explores Ellington's bandleading style, which brought out the best in the orchestra: music critic Leonard Feather describes Ellington's refusal to act as a disciplinarian; Smith recalls that he fostered competition between Cootie Williams and Cat Anderson to spur them to new heights; and Bellson explains Ellington's trust in the professionalism of the players. Included are clips of "Afro-Eurasian Eclipse" with a solo by Hal Ashby, and "The Opener" with solos by Paul Gonsalves, Buster Cooper, and Anderson. The program concludes as several musicians, including Charlie Mingus, Teddy Wilson, and Terry, praise Ellington's piano virtuosity. Includes excerpts of Ellington's piano solos in "Second Portrait of the Lion," "Ad Lib on Nippon," and "Solitude." This program is closed-captioned. Continues with T:56833.
The program continues with "Take the A Train." Ellington and Russell Procope explain how they managed to enjoy playing the same songs for nearly thirty years by devising new arrangements and by altering improvisational solos. Performances of two disparate arrangements of "Mood Indigo" follow. The next segment examines Ellington's ability to maintain his orchestra's popularity, as big bands were replaced by be-bop and small combos, by combining the traditional and the modern. Performances follow of "Eighth Veil," featuring Cat Anderson, and of Paul Gonsalves's famous solo on "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. Music critic Leonard Feather states that the Newport Festival sparked a renaissance of the orchestra, Jimmy Hamilton describes the chemistry that created the powerful performance that night, and stylist Ron Smith delineates Gonsalves's role in the orchestra. Ellington discusses Billy Strayhorn's abilities as a composer and recalls their bond, which fed their collaborations. Performances follow of two Strayhorn compositions--the orchestra's rendition of "Chelsea Bridge," featuring Gonsalves, and Ellington's piano solo on "Lotus Blossom." Next, Clark Terry and Jimmy Hamilton describe Ellington's bent for writing and arranging pieces specifically tailored to the abilities of his musicians, incorporating their ideas. Tricy Sam Nanton's and Johnny Hodges's performances on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" exemplify this point. Next pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, and vocalist Alice Babs comment on Ellington's unconventional use of chords and unique orchestrations. Excerpts of "The Far East Suite," featuring Harry Carney, and "Tutti For Cootie," featuring Cootie Williams, follow. Choreographer Alvin Ailey then remarks on Ellington's work habits; their collaboration on the ballet, "The River"; the suitability of Ellington's music for dance; and the importance of his music to Black America. Included are clips of Ailey's choreography based on the compositions "The River" and "Night Creature." "Black, Brown and Beige" is then cited as an example of Ellington's extended compositions and his implied statements about race and ethnicity. An interview follows in which Ellington resists the categorizations of both race and musical genre. The program concludes with excerpts from the composer's "Second Sacred Concert" and "Happy Reunion," in addition to comments about Ellington's mastery of composition and his role as an innovator and a symbol of achievement. This program is closed-captioned.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Rosalind P. Walter, 1999.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: July 18, 1988 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:56:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:56832
- GENRE: Arts documentaries; Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: African American composers; Biography; Blacks in film; Composers; Jazz; Music, popular (songs, etc.); Pianists; African-American Collection - Music
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- For "American Masters":
- Susan Lacy … Executive Producer
- Harlene Freezer … Coordinating Producer
- Diane Dufault … Associate Producer
- Jac Venza … Production (misc.), Executive Director
- For "A Duke Named Ellington":
- Terry Carter … Producer, Director, Narrator
- Leonard Malone … Co-Producer, Writer
- Stuart Parker Hall … Associate Producer
- Alvin Ailey
- Cat Anderson
- Hal Ashby
- Alice Babs
- Louis Bellson
- Buster Cooper
- Duke Ellington
- Leonard Feather
- Paul Gonsalves
- Adelaide Hall
- Jimmy Hamilton
- Herbie Hancock
- Johnny Hodges
- Herb Jeffries
- Irving Mills
- Charlie Mingus
- "Tricky" Sam Nanton
- Russell Procope
- Ron Smith
- Willie "The Lion" Smith
- Billy Strayhorn
- Clark Terry
- Ben Webster
- Cootie Williams
- Terry Wilson