About

A TAV Curator’s Pick.

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane is a jazz album by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane recorded on September 26, 1962, and released in February 1963 on Impulse! Records.

For Ellington, it was one of many collaborations with fellow jazz-greats in the early 1960s, including Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, Max Roach, and Charles Mingus, and placed him in a jazz quartet setting (in this case, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums), rather than his usual one in a big band.

For Coltrane, it was an opportunity to work with one of jazz's all-time greats. It was one of several albums he recorded in the early 1960s in a more conservative and accessible style, including John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman and Ballads. Despite their differences in background, style, and age – Ellington was 63 and Coltrane 36 when the tracks were recorded – it has been said that the two interacted seamlessly and subtly, neither one outshining the other.

The quartet was filled out by the bassist and drummer from either of their bands. The album featured Ellington standards (e.g., "In a Sentimental Mood"), new Ellington compositions, and a new Coltrane composition ("Big Nick”). - Wiki

“The classic 1962 album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane showcased the rising jazz saxophone innovator performing alongside the long-established piano institution. While the pairing might have portended a dynamic clash of the musical generations, instead we got a casual, respectful, and musically generous meeting of like-minded souls.” - AllMusic

Musicians:

• Duke Ellington - piano
• John Coltrane - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
• Aaron Bell - bass
• Jimmy Garrison - bass
• Elvin Jones - drums
• Sam Woodyard – drums

Item description: