Duke Ellington Plays "Crescendo and Diminuendo in Blue"

Duke Ellington had wanted to extend the length of the average jazz composition beyond the limits of 78 rpm 10 inch discs which ran to about 3 minutes in length and on 12 inch discs with 4 minutes lengths. His first composition on a double sided album was "Reminiscing in Tempo" which was spread onto four 10 inch 78 rpm sides in 1935. It wasn't until 1943 at his first Carnegie hall concert that he expanded the length of his compositions further by composing "Black, Brown and Beige" which lasted forty minutes in its original length. This work formed the basis for Ellington's concert suites which covered a variety of styles and topics.

"Crescendo and Diminuendo in Blue" was written in 1939 and became a sure fire encore, guaranteeing a riot at every performance. Ellington knew of the power of this work but kept it under wraps for many years, seldom playing the work until tenor saxist Paul Gonsalves came on board in the band in 1952. Ellington relied on Gonsalves to play a rip roaring series of choruses which would whip an audience into a frenzy. This he did everytime, especially at the famous 1956 Newport Jazz performance where the crowd nearly erupted into violence due to the frenzy this work caused. By 1965, Ellington reduced the choruses for Gonsalves and shortened the work to the size we hear it here.