Didrik Schiele:

>Hiya!  what are peoples opinions on Ellington? Is he classical music?
>If not, why not?

I think he aspired to it in some of his more extended compositions, eg
Such Sweet Thunder or Black, Brown and Beige, but I don't see his music as
a development or even an offshoot from what was going on in CM during the
period he was active.  Calling a composition, say, Diminuendo and Crescendo
in Blue doesn't make it CM.

>Which was his best period, cooperating with Louie Armstrong
>or the woodwinders of the 30ies like Bigard and Johny Hodges?

I'm not sure what you mean by "cooperating" with Armstrong.  Certainly,
Ellington had some wonderful players in his outfit, not only reed players.
I have Ellington recordings from throughout his career and for me, the
earlier bands were the best.  The playing is fierier and more experimental.
I think we might in some ways regard late Ellington in the same way as late
Karajan - too smooth, too calculated and without the likelihood of the
listener's being surprised.

>Was he a better pianist than orchestrator?

I don't see the point of making the comparison.  I've thought of Ellington
as having a modest technique, as John Lewis did, but within those
limitations, they played wonderful jazz.  But then, you wouldn't really
expect to find someone with a technique like Oscar Peterson's leading a
big band.

>I think Ellington made some very ambitious and genial contributions to
>musci which well sorts under Classical Music.

Classic music, certainly, but not, IMO, classical.

Richard Pennycuick
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