In May I got the the second issue of Blue Light for 2025 (also numbered Volume 32 Number 1) and this week the new DESS Bulletin arrived. It is its third issue for this year.
I cover both magazines in this article since it is not until that now that I am able to produce an article for Ellington Galaxy since the end of April.
Reasons? Clermont l’Herault had no Internet in May and after that health issues had to be my focus. They still are but Duke can’t wait forever!
The DESS Bulletin is issued four times a year and Blue Light three times. The Bulletin has normally 20 pages and Blue Light has 50 pages.
The two editors, Bo Haufman for the Bulletin and Gareth Evans for Blue Light, do a fantastic job to put them together and deserve our deepest thank you!
DESS Bulletin
The cover story in the new Bulletin is about Kay Davis – Duke’s Instrumental Voice.
It is written by Bo himself and details her career very well. Pity that Bo does not mention the panel discussion with with Kay Davis and Gloria Nance at Ellington ’97 that I published on the Galaxy website on February 28.
Another must-read aricle is Sven-Erik Baun-Christensen‘s about the new Jasmine CD Duke Ellington /Great Times with all the Mercer Records recordings except one. In his usual way Sven-Erik gives all the details about the recordings. There are also articles about the CD in Blue Light.
Another two articles written directly for the Bulletin are Pretty and the Wolf by John Richmond and Vad menas med blues/Bluesen och Duke written by tenor saxophone player and DESS Board member Claes Brodda.
As usual, there are some also some reprints from other publications. This time, it is one by Mike Zirpolo about Ben Webster’s What Am I Here for from Swing & Beyond and another by Will Friedwald entitled When Dorsey Met The Duke. It seems to be originally a Substack article.
Bo Haufman has also contrubuted two shorter articles – 0ne about the version of Jones issued on Mosaic Singles 1001 and one the trumpeter Roy Burrowes.
There is also a review in the Bulletin by Anders Asplund of Jack Chamber’s book A Tone Parallel to Duke Ellington.
Blue Light
It has six major articles and the usual sections of news and reviews of what happens in the Ellington world in U.K. Impressive!
Fred Glueckstein’s article about Al Hibbler: Preeminent Singer for Duke Ellington, 1943-1951 stands out for me. It tells in details about Hibbler’s life and career including his eight years with Duke Ellington. I learnt a lot from it and I am sure that other Blue Light readers will do as well.
There is also an article about Al Hibler by Bo Haufman in the DESS Bulletin 2000:1, which I recommend.
The second part of Danny Caine’s interview with Stanley and Helen Dance is of course also a must-read as was part one published in the previous Blue Light. But one has to take time to digest the full interview.
The English record company Jasmine has issued three “Ellington” CDs that I think will be generally welcomed by Ellington fans.They are the result of an initiative of Ian Bradley and we should be grateful to him for it.
I have ordered the three CDs but have not yet received them. Unfortunately, the link in the article to Ian’s website with discographical information does not work. Pity!
I have the Mosic MD5-160 box and it would have been interesting to compare if the Jasmin CD “The Capitol Singles Plus” has something real new. The Mosaic box seems to have everything but the “Plus” in the CD should mean something or does it not?
The second CD is titled Columbia Vocal Rarities. Ian says “a rare collection collection of vocals” divided equally between vocal recordings on Columbia 1947-52 and 1956-62. Once I have received the Jasmine CD, I will add information on what is included.
The third CD with Mercer Records recording is the most welcome. It has all the recordings made by the label except one, it is in good sound and is commented well.
I have already mentioned Sven-Erik Baun-Christensen’s comment in the DESS Bulletin and in Blue Light there is a three page comment by Ian and Bradley and a two page review by Brian Priestley.
The article by Gareth Evans himself in the Spring issue is titled Black and Tan Fantasies: the taming of the blues. Gareth had difficulties with Black and Tan Fantasy when he first heard it in 1990 and his article is really a trip to get a perspective on it.
“Fortunately, almost a century after it was first recorded, we don’t have to choose beween performances: we are blessed with over fifty of them from throughout Duke’s career. Each is unique with its own individual qualities but I would argue”, says Gareth, “that the ones recorded during the Cotton Club years remain the most compelling.”
I have made a similar trip as Gareth’s but much earlier. It was in 1958 and I was 16 years old when I heard Black and Tan on a Philips LP I had bought. I was totally caught and had discovered the world of Duke Ellington.
Finally, for those interested in old Ellington articles, I recommend one by Vic Bellerby in the February issue of Jazz Monthly 1956. It is a reflection on Duke Ellington at that time titled Bizarre Brass and the Occult.
Author: Ulf Lundin