Treasury Shows Vol. 7

The seventh two-CD set in the important Treasury Shows series that reissues Duke Ellington's radio broadcasts of his Treasury shows of 1945-1946 has more than its share of worthy music. Reissued in full are the broadcasts of June 30 and July 7, 1945, plus additional material performed at the Café Zanzibar on October 7 and 17 of the same year. Although this particular edition of the Ellington Orchestra has long been underrated, Duke's 1945 band had 11 major soloists in addition to the full-time writing of Billy Strayhorn. Ellington's promos are a bit difficult to sit through and one of them inexcusably comes in the middle of a four-song Strayhorn medley, but in general those can be skipped. It is worth it for the valuable music, which includes such numbers as "Caravan," "Honeysuckle Rose," a transformation of "One O'Clock Jump," a revival of "Old King Dooji," "Blue Belles of Harlem," "The Perfume Suite," and "Ring Dem Bells." "Diminuendo in Blue" and "Crescendo in Blue," which at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival would sandwich a marathon Paul Gonsalves tenor solo, in this setting are bridged by "Carnegie Blues." Of the many soloists, tenor saxophonist Al Sears and trombonist Tricky Sam Nanton are standouts, as are altoist Johnny Hodges and the many trumpeters. All of the entries in this valuable series are well worth acquiring by Ellington fans.