The Essential Duke Ellington [Sony] (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Ivie Anderson (vocals); Lonnie Johnson, Fred Guy (guitar); Barney Bigard (clarinet, saxophone); Harry Carney (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Johnny Hodges (clarinet); Otto Hardwick (alto saxophone, bass saxophone); Jabbo Smith (trumpet); Juan Tizol (valve trombone); Bass Edwards (tuba); Billy Strayhorn (piano); Hayes Alvis, Billy Taylor (bass instrument); Sonny Greer (drums).

Given the staggering number of Duke Ellington collections available and the bandleader/composer/pianist's decades-spanning career, it's difficult to determine the best compilations. Columbia/Legacy's two-disc ESSENTIAL DUKE ELLINGTON ranks among the finest, however. Drawing from more than 30 years of recordings for multiple labels (Columbia, Okeh, Brunswick), this 37-track set ranges from 1927's sauntering "East St. Louis Toodle-oo" to 1960's mysterious, woodwind-heavy "Arabesque Cookie."

Most of the tunes here, though, date back to Ellington's peak years--the late '20s to early '40s--including the sassy "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," the gentle "In a Sentimental Mood," and the boisterous "Take the 'A' Train." Throughout this ESSENTIAL set, Ellington's compositional and instrumental skills are consistently sophisticated and inventive. Every song is enhanced by his formidable ensembles, which include the multi-instrumental talents of reed players Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges, along with many other jazz legends. Those looking for a more in-depth collection of Ellington classics should seek out THE DUKE, but for a concise-yet-sweeping selection of his finest moments, it's hard to beat THE ESSENTIAL DUKE ELLINGTON. minimize