Volume 2

'*Awful Sad Rhythm section as for Yellow Dog Blues

A companion to Vol.1 this collection of eight recordings by Duke Ellington covers approx. the same period, for all these were made between 1928 and 1931, and it was at the time the Duke's records were really beginning to sell. A composer, or arranger, less gifted than Ellington would have been hard put to it to produce, in rapid succession, such fine sides as 'East St. Luis Toodle-oo', 'Black and Tan Fantasy', 'Creole Love Call' and 'Jubilee Stomp' yet, for Duke, this wa but an early manifestation of the incredible fertility of musical thought which was to grow into the great recordings of the later '30's, culminating in the supreme mastership of the 1940 sessions, for the Duke Ellington orchestra of 1940 was without doubt, the greatest large unit ever to have been formed since the inception of jazz.

'Creole Rapsody'
it's one of Ellington's most satisfying compositions and in the earliest recording which shows, fully, the tremendous, pictorial power of his writting.

'Tiger Rag'
has long, exciting solos with far more genuine jazz expression that one might have hoped that he would.

'Yellow Dog Blues' and 'Tishomingo Blues'
are the first recorded solos by Johnny Hodges and it is extremely interesting to follow his development through later recordings.

'Jazz Convulsions'
contains some superb Hodges, some excellent muted trumpet by Cootie Williams and extremely fine banjo by Fred Guy in support of Bigard's clarinet solo.

'Awful Sad'
is notable for Arthur Whetsel's sensitive mutered trumpet.

This volume proves itself to be valuable. Complete,this is to say, on Long Play records.'[discogs]