A lot of people associate Duke’s music mainly with the
1920’s up through the WWII era, but there is no point in his 50-year career
where he was not refining and advancing his music, right up until his death in
1974. From his Cotton Club “jungle band” of the 20’s through his redefinition
of big band swing in the late 30’s to his dance bands of the 50’s to his senior
patronage of the stars of 60’s New Thing jazz, he changed his approach,
constantly absorbed the newest styles and continually retained his own sound –
and his big band – through every change. The late 60’s and early 70’s brought a
renaissance in his music, leading up to a great series of albums of which
1971’s The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse is one of the finest – and my own
personal favorite of the later period, even over the renowned The Far East
Suite (though maybe I’d have to think long and hard about whether I like it
better than And His Mother Called Him Bill).
The album
kicks off with a spoken introduction by Duke, who explains the title concept –
a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan – and lets us know that the band (featuring
“our piano player” as he was wont to refer to himself) is going to display it
musically by playing music inspired by the many countries they’d visited –
Asian and African primarily, but without ever losing its roots in blues and
jazz. And then things kick right into the big band taking on one of the album’s
best tunes, “Chinoiserie” a blistering, riffing complex of catchy, interlocking
horn parts that features the propulsive rhythm that runs throughout the album.
The song – and the album – also
prominently features Ellington’s piano playing, which is always a treat and
sometimes takes a second seat to Duke conducting his band. It also features
several long time Ellington regulars, including saxophonists Paul Gonsalves and
Harry Carney, and trumpeter Cootie Williams, who tie the music back to classic
Duke bands all the way to the end of the 1920’s, but also makes space for
important new members of the band – notably saxophonist Harold Ashby (who
joined a few years prior in 1968), and the killer rhythm section of Rufus Jones
on drums (who’d been with Duke since The Far East Suite was recorded in
1966) and bassist Joe Benjamin (who became part of the band only a year earlier
with New Orleans Suite in 1970). And it’s this combination of
Ellington’s history, classic elegance, and (there’s no other word) genius
tying together the older and younger generations to make music of the highest
caliber, but also music that’s simply fun to listen to.
“Didjeridoo” follows on the heels
of the lead track, showing Duke’s spare rhythmic displacement that lead him to
say once upon a time that Thelonious Monk had stolen his style, and it’s
followed by the best thing here – the drum-heavy “Afrique.” It’s a showcase for
Jones’ huge drums, but also Duke’s interaction with them, which feels nearly
like a duet though the whole orchestra is used. Horns create subtle lines that
build to huge climaxes in the song, but the stars here are Jones and Ellington.
“Acht O’Clock Rock” takes down the intensity a bit after the heavy drama of
“Chinoiserie” and “Afrique.” “Gong” is another Rufus Jones showcase which moves
from the intensity of the opening into a more delicate feature for Duke’s
piano, then “Tang” highlights Duke’s chips-of-ice style with a modern jazz
feeling opening that settles into the riffs and rhythm style that characterize
the album. The record moves on to “True” – the most old-fashioned thing here,
hearkening to a classic 50’s swing style – and closes on “Hard Way,” a bluesy
closer that is the mellowest cut on the album.
It’s a great record, one of the
finest full-lengths of the career of a man whose work spanned every recording
technology and musical innovation of the mid-20th century. While the
focus on Duke’s work tends to shine a spotlight on the work up through the War
period, his later works are in need of a serious reassessment, as this great
one is only one record of many that could be pointed to to make a strong case
for his late-period brilliance. On Tuesday the 29th, Duke would’ve
turned 115 if he was still alive. Let’s take a minute to celebrate his
accomplishments and his genius with a listen to this album. And then others as
well.
- Patrick Brown
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