.jpg)
"As for Duke's
music," Oscar concluded, "I haven't heard anything bad by him yet. In
terms of adapting some of his works for a trio, I did make some suggestions;
because, having worked with Duke so long, I had a kind of insight on how he
does things. So I sort of pulled their coats a little from time to time.
Anyway, write whatever you want about the session; I just dig playing the
music." From Nat Hentoff's liner notes (Jubilee). - "There was no
drum used at all. It is a lasting tribute to the genius that was Oscar
Pettiford that he was able to integrate his playing into everything that was
going on and still keep the tempo going." ~ from Liner Notes by Nat
Hentoff.
For the "Three For
Duke" session, of 1957 on the Jubilee label, Teddy Charles was reunited
with his friend and mentor Hall Overton in a trio rounded out by the master
bassist Oscar Pettiford. Six Ellington compositions were recorded including a
nine-minute exploration of “Sophisticated Lady,” taken at very slow tempo, but
notably avoiding the common ballad crutch of doubling the tempo. Charles had
some trepidation about doing this album without a drummer, but Pettiford's
strength and taste rendered such concerns unnecessary. With sketches by both
Overton and Charles, the music is faithful to Ellington's legacy and thoughtful
and moving solos are provided by all three participants. The concepts of group
rapport and contextual appropriateness so important to all of Charles's work
are ever present. This is an album that definitely merits reissue. Extract from
New Directions
Revisited - The Rich and Unique Legacy of Teddy Charles by Noal Cohen.
Jubilee Records, JLP 1047, 1958?
Recorded 29th May,
1957 in New York
Personnel:
Teddy Charles - Vibraphone
Hall Overton - Piano
Oscar Pettiford - Bass
Track Listing:
A1. Main Stem {Duke
Ellington} (4:57)
A2. Do Nothing 'Til You Hear
From Me {Duke Ellington, Bob Russell} (5:11)
A3. Sophisticated Lady {Duke
Ellington, Mitchell Parish, Irving Mills} (9:40)
B1. Don't Get Around Much
Anymore {Duke Ellington, Bob Russell} (5:32)
B2. Sherman Shuffle {Duke
Ellington} (6:52)
B3. The Mooch {Duke
Ellington, Irving Mills} (6:11)
Credits:
Producer - Lee Kraft
Cover Design - Tom Hannan
Liner Notes - Nat Hentoff
