Money Jungle [Expanded] [Remaster]

Performer: Duke Ellington
Engineer: Bill Schwartau
Producer: Alan Douglas; Michael Cuscuna (Reissue)
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: /Max Roach/Charles Mingus. Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); Max Roach (drums). Recorded at Sound Makers, New York, New York on September 17, 1962. Originally released on United Artists (15017). Includes liner notes by George Wein and Michael Cuscuna. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Composer: Duke Ellington. Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Max Roach (drums). Audio Remixer: Ron McMaster. Liner Note Author: Michael Cuscuna. Recording information: Sound Makers, New York, NY (09/17/1962). Photographer: Frank Gauna. Arranger: Duke Ellington. Although this excellent album is listed as a Duke Ellington, equal billing should be given to the participation of Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The remastered CD is outstanding, having been cleaned up from the original master tape. The CD also has the addition of six extra tracks, including four unheard Ellington originals: "Very Special," "Rem Blues," "Switch Blade," and "Backward Country Boy Blues." He is as at home in the setting of a trio as he is with a wailing big-band, and as usual, he allows the other musicians to play. The trio version of "Caravan" is exceptional, raucous and swinging. Duke Ellington surprised the jazz world in 1962 with his historic trio session featuring Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Not in a mood to simply rework older compositions, the bulk of the original LP focused on music he wrote specifically for the session. "Money Jungle" is a thunderous opener, a blues that might be classified somewhere between post-bop and avant-garde. The gem of the date is the fragile, somewhat haunting ballad "Fleurette Africaine," where Mingus' floating bassline and Roach's understated drumming add to the mystique of an Ellington work that has slowly been gathering steam among jazz musicians as a piece worth exploring more often. "Very Special" is a jaunty upbeat blues, while the angular, descending line of "Wig Wise" also proves to be quite catchy. Ellington also revisits "Warm Valley" (a lovely ballad indelibly associated with Johnny Hodges) and an almost meditative "Solitude." Thunderous percussion and wild basslines complement a wilder-than-usual approach to "Caravan." The 1987 CD reissue added five previously unreleased works written for the session and an alternate of "Solitude"; this 2002 edition adds two new alternate takes. Mingus briefly sings along with his opening bass solo to Ellington's sauntering blues "Switch Blade," while Roach's brushwork seasons the leader's down-and-dirty "Rem Blues." Reissue producer Michael Cuscuna adds a brief false start to "Backward Country Boy Blues" to share a complement that Ellington gave to Mingus after hearing his opening bass solo. Even if you already own the earlier, nearly complete CD, it is well worth investing in this expanded 24-bit version, but don't be surprised if it is made obsolete by a later expanded edition with additional unreleased alternate takes, rehearsals, breakdowns, and studio discussions. Every jazz fan should own a copy of this sensational recording session. ~ Ken Dryden

Duke Ellington's gift for combining blues simplicity, gospel emotion, and sophisticated musical themes reflected a unique style that drew fans from around the world. From the 1920s to the 1970s, he created a huge body of work that ranks among the greatest contributions to American music. As a pianist, composer, and bandleader, Ellington contained multitudes: from solo recordings to orchestral works, from novelty songs to extended suites, from the sacred to the not-so-sacred. As Miles Davis once said, "All musicians should get down on their knees one day to thank Duke Ellington."

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