While I have no idea how many hits I received for my first installment of this experiment in navigating the architecture of Duke Ellington's famous extended composition, Black, Brown and Beige, I do know that it received precisely zero comments.
The implication is that nobody read it or at least cared enough about what I was doing to leave a comment. Granted, this isn't exactly the usual material one would read in a jazz column: it's more like a study aid (which, indeed, it is), and nobody likes it when you ask them to study. So I certainly understand if this isn't a terribly popular piece.
But I'm going to continue it anyway. I think (or hope) it is very helpful for anyone who wants to study BB&B or any other of Ellington's lengthy compositions. It also shouldn't be left dangling and incomplete, as it would if I ended it with part one of three. And most importantly, I'm enjoying it. It is great mental exercise and gives me something to go on when I go into the work of Ellington or anybody else.
Thus we move on to the second movement of Ellington's opus "Brown." Easily the most segmented of the three movements, "Brown" is primarily about the final moments of slavery in the United States.
It contains three episodes: "West Indian Dance," about the influx of black slaves, laborers, and et cetera from the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas; "Emancipation Celebration," which is exactly what it sounds like; and "Mauve," better known as "The Blues, which, said Ellington, was a moment of sadness for the older slaves who found themselves with nowhere to go after emancipation.
Times and performance details are for the January 23, 1943 Carnegie Hall performance, as recorded on The Duke Ellington Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943 (Prestige).
II – Brown
(0:00 – 1:17)
Duke Ellington’s spoken intro.
i. West Indian Dance
(1:18)
Four-bar drum intro, with clarinet entering at 1:22, trombone at 1:23, and full band at 1:25 – until BOOM at 1:32 leads into theme and variations.
Article comments
1 - Michael Palmer
An excellent analysis. Thank you.
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Michael Palmer
A Tribute to Johnny Hodges
2 - Roland Butta
Ignore the lack of comments. It could be that no one knew you had done this. I only came across it by chance.
It actually expands on what has already been done for the whole Ellington oeuvre by Messrs. Massagli and Volonte in their 2 volume tone "The New Desor", an essential companion to Ellington's Music.
Perhaps a bit more publicity would not go amiss.It deserves wiider dissemination.
3 - Mark Saleski
the readers were stunned into silence. ;-)
honestly, this is a very interesting series. i don't often think about music like this, but it's fun to read about.
4 - Frits Schjøtt
Thank you for your great work!
I am looking forward to the third instalment in the series as I am going to spend some time very soon in listening closely to the whole BB&B with your analysis at hand.
It will be a fantastic experience, I am sure.
Frits Schjøtt
Denmark
(Ellington-afficionado since 1948)