To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s death – on May 24, 1974 – I’ve asked a number of jazz musicians and aficionados to share their thoughts and feelings about this titan of the music. Today: the dynamic Scottish trumpeter Bruce Adams. Tomorrow: Scott Hamilton
How did you first hear or become aware of Duke Ellington and his music?
I first became aware of Duke Ellington through Django Reinhardt. My father, who was a guitarist, bought the album Django the Unforgettable when I was about seven. One of the first tracks to make an impression on me was C Jam Blues. Later on, I heard Django’s recording of In A Sentimental Mood, and began to realise there was something of interest here. Roll on to when I was 11 and had just started playing trumpet. Ellington numbers kept on popping up so a lot of my trumpet heroes at the time were Ellington sidemen – Cootie Williams, Ray Nance and Cat Anderson – and I was always looking out for new stuff to hear.
Did you ever see Ellington and his band perform?
Sadly, I never got to hear Ellington live myself. I did however see several television broadcasts which blew me away. I think the one from Coventry Cathedral in 1966 was probably the most memorable. The two numbers that stood out for me were Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue and Single Petal of a Rose.
My father had seen Ellington when he came here and performed with a British rhythm section. That would have been the time of the M.U ban on visiting Americans. Ellington had Ray Nance who did his complete act of trumpet, violin, vocals and flying backflips across the stage. He was known in the band as “Floorshow”. The singer was Kay Davis and the British guys included Malcolm Mitchell on guitar and Tony Crombie on drums. I think the bass player might have been Jack Fallon, but I could be wrong there.
What do you think made Ellington’s orchestra so great?
I always felt Ellington’s band to be the most multifaceted of all the big bands. The band never stopped developing and growing. They had people – like Harry Carney – who virtually spent their whole career in the band. Johnny Hodges was such an integral part of band as was Paul Gonsalves. You couldn’t imagine either of them without thinking of Ellington.
Which Ellington numbers have you enjoyed playing?
In the 1990s, I had the privilege of playing the Cat Anderson chair with Echoes of Ellington, a British band run by Pete Long. We played everything in the Ellington repertoire from the early Cotton Club charts to the later suites written in collaboration with Billy Strayhorn. I played The Madness in Great Ones [from Such Sweet Thunder] for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. That was some of the best music I ever played, although that solo probably shortened my life by five years …
I was lucky to work a lot in Germany with Jimmy Woode, the bass player on Such Sweet Thunder. He was a nice man and had so many stories of Duke. There is one story I remember about when Duke stole three of the guys from Harry James’s band. One was Willie Smith who replaced Johnny Hodges for a couple of years. It was known as “The Great James Robbery” … A journalist asked Harry James about it and he said if Duke had asked him, he’d have gone too. Ellington’s band could be chaotic and sometimes sounded terrible. They also played mind games with Duke, and vice versa, but when they hit the groove there was nothing like it.
Do you remember when Duke Ellington died?
I was 22 when Duke died, aged 75. We were all saddened but not surprised: in comparison to a lot of his contemporaries he had a long life. He did, however, leave a fantastic legacy which we’re lucky to have. As I’ve grown older I’ve learned to appreciate it even more, and if you are a mainstream jazz musician, Ellington is always going to make an appearance in your orbit.
We have a lot to be thankful for.
Bruce Adams is playing at the Leith Jazz Festival, various venues in Leith, Edinburgh between June 7 and 9. Visit http://www.bruce-adams.co.uk for more info on Bruce’s work.
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