Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

We Could Have Dazzled You with Special Effects, and Instead...

The meeting between two giants of jazz history (and contemporary music, tout-court) unfolds under the banner of understatement: the band leader who has already left an indelible mark with his orchestra's sound over several decades of music and the great soloist who emerged with the full weight of his talent from the sonic kaleidoscope of the early '60s clarify their intentions after just a few seconds of listening; the ellingtonian "Sentimental Mood" unravels with superb indolence in its progression, a solid yet sparse rhythmic base and the duke's skewed piano support Coltrane's tenor sax solo, in which he limits himself to presenting the melody (but with such expressiveness!!!) without diving into the torrential improvisations that made him famous.

And the rest of the recording continues like this: our heroes, with the infinite class that distinguishes them and with an extraordinary sense of measure, move in their own way between swing and melody, caressing the notes marvelously: those who have never heard jazz and intend to approach such music can safely start with an album like this, which in its "catchiness" (quotation marks mandatory) can even reach listeners who are just starting out. But even listeners who... have already fought several sonic wars can happily return to the golden simplicity of this recording: in the essential and magnificent pianism of Ellington, in the elegant and insidious phrasing of Coltrane, in the absolute solidity of the rhythmic base (the musicians are Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Aaron Bell, and Sam Woodyard, namely the double bassists and drummers of the magical duo!!!) they will surely find "The Feeling Of Jazz." Which, incidentally, is the title of the splendid composition that closes the album.