Blues in Orbit (Columbia)
Sometimes overlooked, Blues in Orbit finds Ellington and his orchestra in powerful form in a series of lengthy midnight sessions from 1959. The set features blues of all types, while the title track reflects Ellington’s interest in space travel in the age of Sputnik. The music mixes the well tried (C Jam Blues and In a Mellow Tone) with the newly fashioned (The Swinger ‘s Jump and Blues in Blueprint).
Among the highlights are the hard-swinging Pie Eye’s Blues (street slang for a pimp); Johnny Hodges’s passionate saxophone on Brown Penny; and the restless pulse of Track 360, which is propelled by the drummer Sam Woodyard. Throughout, the band, just back from a European tour, is in confident form.
This re-release features eight extra tracks, including an unreleased alternate take of Blues in Orbit. Perhaps it is something to do with Teo Macero taking control in the sound booth for the first time, or perhaps it is just the 21st-century jiggery-pokery, but the remastered sound is excellent.
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John Bungey