Royalty seems to be involved in some strange ways in music of a non-classical way. Take the "King Porter Stomp." It was written by Jelly Roll Morton who proclaimed himself the "King of Jazz." It was written as a tribute to another bit of royalty, ragtime pianist Porter King who also know as King Porter. Hence the title and the lineage of this work. Harry James plays a wonderfully laid back, rel...
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The second of two Ernie Wilkins scores, "Ensemble" is a marvelously subdued chart with plenty of colorful contrasts in unison. The pallette is expanded with the use of a flute to the sax section adding brilliance to the scoring. The crisp playing of the James ensemble, always one of the many reasons to love this band is everywhere in evidence.
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As an added extra or two, we hear Billy Strayhorn's great contribution to the Duke Ellington band book about a train named the "A" Train. Ernie Wilkins keeps the his chart as Dukish as possible, down to the piano and rhythm section opening which leads into a brief solo James before a tenor saxist digs in his heels with a muscular solo that drives the entire band. A driving rhythm section spotli...
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Ernie Wilkins contributed two scores to the "Harry James...Today!" album, of which "End of Town Blues" is the first. It's a very bleak sounding work, delving into the deeper nature of the blues beginning quietly and desolately before segueing magnificently into an all out blues performance with an explosive band backing James at his most creative. Big washes of dynamics are set against the quie...
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One of the sure fire ways to end an LP is with "Lester Leaps In." The person addressed in the title was tenor saxist Lester Young who revolutionized a more intimate way of playing the instrument. Ernie Wilkins' makes it plain who it was that first recorded the work, Count Basie. There is tight unison work between guitar and Harry James on a percolating muted trumpet before the entire ensemble e...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Two O' Clock Jump |
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| 2 And the Angels Sing |
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| 3 (Back Home Again In) Indiana |
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| 4 Got No Time |
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| 5 King Porter Stomp |
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