Also on Duke Ellington’s birthday

The New York Times has a feature about Jason Moran’s solo piano reimagining of “Black and Tan Fantasy.” Here’s a full performance. I wish that I liked it more — to my ear, it lacks the austerity and elegance of the original, not to mention the Chopin bit. For a piano performance, I prefer Thelonious Monk’s 1955 recording with Oscar Pettiford, bass; and Kenny Clarke, drums. Or for piano alone, Earl Hines’s 1972 recording.

Here is one of Ellington’s first three recordings of the piece, which he wrote with trumpeter Bubber Miley. From October 26, 1927, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: Miley, Louis Metcalf, trumpets; Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, trombone; Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney, Rudy Jackson, reeds; Ellington, piano; Fred Guy, banjo; Wellman Braud, bass; Sonny Greer, drums. The soloists are Hardwick, Miley, Ellington, and Nanton.

Related reading
All OCA Ellington posts (Pinboard)