Recorded on August 28 and September 3, 1970
What a delicious slice of Ellingtonia performed by two of the most important soloists to ever perform in Duke's orchestra, Paul Gonsalves and Ray Nance!
I admit that I have a special place in my heart for the sound that Paul Gonsalves makes on the tenor saxophone. I'm almost ashamed to say now that when I first heard it -- that breathy tone with billowing clouds of notes devoid of any edges -- it grated on my ear. As is often the case with artists who are different, the very thing about his sound that tripped up my ear soon became the thing I loved most of all.
Duke loved Gonsalves too. After Gonsalves' famous "wailing interval" at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival that helped propel Ellington's flagging career, Duke was forever grateful. Gonsalves' extended solo -- and the subsequent myth-making media coverage that flowed from it -- helped make Ellington at Newport the best-selling album Duke ever had. (And not long after that, Duke's portrait graced the cover of Time magazine, in a time when that publication was an unequaled arbiter of cultural relevance.) After Newport, whenever Ellington introduced his orchestra, providing the audience members with each instrumentalist's hometown, Duke would tell them that Gonsalves hailed from Newport, Rhode Island -- as if their mutual experience that night had given both Gonsalves and the band a sort of second birth. The "Hero of Newport" indeed!
But I think Duke loved Gonsalves for many reasons. It wasn't just that Gonsalves helped reinvigorate the appeal of Ellington's band to the culture at large. Duke loved the way Gonsalves played the tenor saxophone, and I think he loved the man as well. There are so many photographs of Ellington, but one of my favorites is in John Fass Morton's Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport '56 (Rutgers University Press, 2008). The photo is not a particularly good one from a technical point of view. It's blurry and the composition is far from perfect. But the photograph shows Duke and Gonsalves dancing together, off-stage, side-by-side, half-facing each other, joyous, un-self-conscious, not performing, smiling, and happy.
Ellington was a notoriously private person. He shielded himself by hiding behind an elaborate persona, an elegant put-on was part of every show. But this photo is special because it captures Duke with his guard down. And you can only do that when you're in the presence of someone you really care about.
[...]
Well, after that digression, I suppose I should turn to the record at hand. First of all, I should say that there is the slight (inevitable?) let-down that seemed to happen whenever Ellingtonians made records outside the Ducal fold. Duke's music by Duke's musicians without Duke usually just isn't as good as it would have been if Duke were there. That said, Ellington's absence is not felt as acutely on this LP as it is on some others. French pianist Raymond Fol and especially Hank Jones bring their considerable artistry to the proceedings. Nance's trumpet and violin work is wonderful, and his singing (on a couple tracks) is a delight. Relative newcomer Norris Turney shines on his feature, "Angel Eyes." Gonsalves is Gonsalves, and now you know how I feel about him.
So, even if this LP isn't an unequivocal five-star masterpiece, I would hate to be without it. More importantly, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Just A-Sittin and A-Rockin' to anyone with even the slightest interest in Ellington's larger orbit. Sometimes hearing a couple of your favorite soloists sing a few timeless songs is plenty. If that's what you're looking for, this is exactly what you need.
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