Listen to the vibraphone player!
Medowbrook Gardens, situated in Culver City, California, burned down to the ground in 1948. It had been started as Sebastian’s Cotton Club, transformed into Casa Mañana and later Meadowbrook Gardens. Duke Ellington and his orchestra played here in 1946 and 1947 (and also earlier in Casa Mañana). We can offer the DESS-members some unissued broadcast material from October 4 and 5 in 1947 with some unusual features. Just go to the Goodies Room!
One of these surprises is to hear Tyree Glenn play a fine vibraphone solo on Honeysuckle Rose. He didn’t get that many opportunities to play this instrument during his stay with Duke, and we are course more familiar with his excellent trombone playing during this period. Another interesting experience is to hear Ray Nance play in the higher register in the opening number Blue Lou. Ray Nance also sings on the tongue twisting title Antidisestablishmentarianismist. Altogether the following numbers are played
Oct. 4: *Blue Lou *H’ya Sue *How High The Moon *Emancipation Celebration* Antidisestablismentarianismist *It’s Kind Of Lonesome Out Tonight * Oct 5: *Honeysuckle Rose *It’s Kind Of Lonesome Out Tonight*
Blue Lou has, in addition to Ray Nance, also solos by Jimmy Hamilton, Harold Baker and Oscar Pettiford, whereas Tyree Glenn is the only soloist on Honeysuckle Rose. In How High The Moon, several players share the solo space: Harold Baker, Harry Carney Jimmy Hamilton, Al Sears Ray Nance, Tyree Glenn and Oscar Pettiford. At this point in time, Ellington cooperated with song writer Don George, and we can here listen to two examples of this team work: Antidisetablishmentarianismist and two versions of It’s Kind Of Lonesome Out Tonight with a solo by Harry Carney which is cut short on both versions of the bc. On Emancipation Celebration Ray Nance, Tyree Glenn and Oscar Pettiford are heard.
The only number to have been issued on record from this broadcast is H’ya Sue, which can be heard on a difficult to find LP, Musica Jazz 2MJP-1082 from 1990.