Selection The Money Jungle
Artists
Duke Ellington (p) Charles Mingus (b) Max Roach (d) recorded at Sound Makers, New York City, on September 17, 1962, recording engineer Bill Schwartau, produced by Alan Douglas.
“Duke Ellington surprised the jazz world in 1962 with his historic trio session featuring Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Not in a mood to simply rework older compositions, the bulk of the LP focused on music he wrote specifically for the session. “Money Jungle” is a thunderous opener, a blues that might be classified somewhere between post-bop and avant-garde. The gem of the date is the fragile, somewhat haunting ballad “Fleurette Africaine,” where Mingus’ floating bassline and Roach’s understated drumming add to the mystique of an Ellington work that has slowly been gathering steam among jazz musicians as a piece worth exploring more often. “Very Special” is a jaunty upbeat blues, while the angular, descending line of “Wig Wise” also proves to be quite catchy. Ellington also revisits “Warm Valley” (a lovely ballad indelibly associated with Johnny Hodges) and an almost meditative “Solitude.” Thunderous percussion and wild basslines complement a wilder-than-usual approach to “Caravan.” Every jazz fan should own a copy of this sensational recording session.”
Vinyl: United Artists SULP 1039
1st UK release of UAJS 15017, Stereo (Factory Sample)
Collectors Corner:
Source: London second-hand record store, jazz section, new arrivals.
Whenever I am up town I try to pop in to quickly browse the New Arrivals. You won’t find a mint copy of Mobley 1568 here – thanks to the internet every record seller is savvy to the highly collectible stuff, but whilst they know what is valuable – that’s their job – they don’t necessarily know what is interesting,which is often not on their radar.
The New Arrivals bin is where local “jazz tramps” poke around in the hope of finding something musically nutritious: a half eaten sandwich, a discarded burger. Rooting around pulled up this – not a lion or tiger record, but unexpected, interesting and inexpensive. It brings up to six the number of Alan Douglas United Artists Jazz titles in the collection. Always room for one or two more.
It make a pleasant change from a frustrating week chasing some Jutta Hipp collectibles against the deep pockets of the world’s jazz collectors. Of four records I was recently 2nd-placed price-setter for, the British seller confided they went to collectors in the US, Switzerland and two to Germany.
“Congratulations, Hans, enjoy your records. Now it’s time to pay” He he he…
FOOTNOTE: LJC passed one quarter of a million page views yesterday. Thanks from the bottom of my black vinyl heart for reading and commenting, and for being generally good sports. Jazz will rise again.
Duke Ellington’s 120th birthday today. A musical visionary. Listening to this album “Money Jungle” right now.My version a EMI Uk pressing in mono. Paired with a nice white Chablis.
Chablis… the 2015, of course?
Ever seen a red Chablis?
Andrew,
What do you know about the UA King pressings? I’m holding out hope the same quality is here as in the Blue Note Kings.
Many thanks,
Daniel
Though King Records are immediately associated with Blue Note reissues, they were busy in the 80’s and I have King editions of Contemporary, Pacific Jazz, and Transition recordings. manufactured around that time. I don’t have any UA titles but from the few other labels I have, the indications are not especially encouraging.
Given a decent tape copy to work with, King engineers could pull off a pretty good vinyl transfer (ie Van Gelder!). The problem I have noticed in these other labels are very flat and one-dimensional transfers, lacking the bite and punch I would expect of the originals. The problem may be more with what they were sent, decidedly lacklustre, than what they did with it.
I am not impressed with early UA engineering (prior to the take over of the Blue Note catalogue), so I can’t be especially encouraging. Perhaps worth an experiment for a modest outlay.
got an UAJ mono copy in pretty good shape soundwise but hum, i’m not that fan of the recording/mix (or is the pressing you describe?), too upfront and somehow kinda clunky – on money jungle anyway – that make you long for a more intimate groove. it’s a landmark album anyway
Amazing album, never heard Ellington angry before. But agree that the mix is terrible, and it never sounds right
I have an early pressing mfd. by DGG where for two thirds of the title tune the volume is too low, until someone finally adjusted the level. The difference is even recognizable by just looking at the grooves. Seems the guy couldn’t have cared less because he disliked the music and thought no one else would notice either.
You wonder how many times this happens. I had a Blakey reissue some time ago when I first started collecting. Couple of minutes into the first track the sound engineer suddenly turns the volume down by around a quarter. The first few minutes were fine so the correction was redundant. Likewise they thought it didn’t matter.
Really not enough Ellington here. Please check out The Far East Suite, The Liberian Suite, Blues in Orbit and Soul Call. Amazing music and Ellington was a major inspirator for most of the musicians reviewed here.
I agree. Come on LJC, wake up to jazz royalty. It’ll improve every aspect of your life! Ellington rules! Otherwise a great website and my ears cannot wait for your regular missives. You feed my soul. Or something like that.
Maybe I’m coming at Ellington from the wrong side -“60s” – Where to start? There is simply too much material out there. It needs to pass the audiophile test. Could anyone create a Van Gelder quality type big band recording, get “30 musicians in the room” experience? I hit the same brick wall with classical orchestral music: doesn’t work for me. All my treasured Michael Nyman/ Greenway film scores, Draughtman’s Contract, A Zed and Two Noughts, Drowning by Numbers, just sound dreadful on vinyl, unlistenable. I used to see RFH live Nyman performances and they were sublime, but on vinyl? Horrible. I can not get the intimacy.
Masterpieces By Duke Ellington
Ellington Indigos
Jazz Party
Blues In Orbit
Are all GREAT “audiophile” places to start for the modern ; ) jazz fan!
Yes, Masterpieces by Ellington should satisfy your audiophile inclinations and the music is sublime. There is a fancy Analogue Productions version which I don’t have but sounds great apparently.
Find out more here: http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/98200/Duke_Ellington-Masterpieces_By_Ellington-200_Gram_Vinyl_Record
Here’s a Slate article raving about it: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2014/12/duke_ellington_s_best_album_masterpieces_by_ellington_reviewed_on_the_new.html?via=gdpr-consent
Congrats on the 1,000,000 mark, I really enjoy this blog, cheers
I purchased this off flea-bay about a year ago, a mono version for 3 dollars, from somedbody who bought a collection from a radio station. It still has the programme number and announcer name on it. US version UAJ 14017. Being a radio station copy it was in near mint shape. But the music! My favorite version of Caravan.
Great LP. Yours is a first press (MT tax code).
This is one of the recordings I have on those contemporaneous HMV pressings which I believe we were commenting on some little while back. Another eight quid one, if I remember correctly. This is a record I haven’t played for some time and should reassess — I seem to recall Cook and Morton being pretty lukewarm about it. Still, no time tonight — listening has been devoted to sampling a batch of David Murrays (from the virtually inexhaustible supply of Murrays, if you can find them).
Congrats on the quarter million visits.
How nice it is to organize my tax documents with a great cup of coffee and some “Money Jungle”. Makes the task much less tedious. I am enjoying your selections immensely and thank you for sharing them with the world. Congratulations on your milestone of one quarter million page views!
The whole album is amazing, and Fleurette Africaine is a real little jewel. I’m after an eBay auction for an original copy of this record right in this period…..I hope this post of yours will be forerunner of good luck to me! 😉