Mercer Ellington and the Duke Ellington Orchestra – Harlem Throwbacks

Description

In the mid 1980s Mercer Ellington, the son of legendary American Composer/Bandleader Duke Ellington made several attempts to get his father’s posthumous big band in the studio to record albums in order to stay relevant. While recording in L.A., he employed both East Coast and West Coast nuclei, which were utilized for Mercer’s touring band. On Harlem Throwbacks, the focus was to do modern recreations of records made in the Cotton Club days of the late 1920s up to the early 1940s. Several Duke Ellington alumni were present for this outing, such as Harold Minerve, Art Baron, Rocky White, Anita Moore, Barrie Lee Hall, and Chuck Connors. It is quite interesting to hear these classic arrangements re-recorded in digital stereo in 1984.

1. Hot and Bothered (3:05)

2. The Mooche (5:33)

3. Creole Love Call (3:01)

4. Daybreak Express (3:55)

5. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo (3:10)

6. Caravan (2:34)

7. Echoes of Harlem (3:25)

8. Ring Dem Bells (2:43)

9. Harlem Speaks (2:45)

Trumpets: Rick Baptist, Barrie Lee Hall, Will Miller, Ron Tooley

Trombones: Art Baron, Chuck Connors, Herman Green, Ed Nuemeister

Reeds: Harold Minerve, Gary Bias, Bill Green, Charlie Owens, Herman Riley

Piano: Lloyd Mayers

Guitar & Banjo: Kenny Burrell

Bass: J.J. Wiggins

Drums: Rocky White

Percussion: Rudy Bird

Clarinet: Jackie Kelso (tracks 1,6,&9)

Vocals: Anita Moore (track 1)

Trumpet: Dick Hurwitz (track 7)

Recorded June 22, 1984, Los Angeles