Caravan Transcription - When Ella and Duke made music!

Details

Description

Caravan was written by Juan Tizol, a brilliant Puerto Rican trombonist in Duke Ellington’s band. Ellington first arranged the song for the band to record in 1936, and it became a regular standard thereafter. This recording comes from the famous collaboration with Ella Fitzgerald in 1957.

The performers are all at the height of their powers: Ella’s vocal delivery is wonderfully expressive and rhythmically supple; Ellington and his band swing imperiously throughout; the scoring is harmonically rich, and there is a cornucopia of timbre on display, from ferocious saxophones and trombones to quietly floating trumpets, bluesy clarinet and elegantly swung hi-hat; and sailing over it all, the golden voice of the Queen of Jazz. The ensemble playing is magnificent, and the solos are poised and elegant. The journey of the music, from the rasp of the opening chord to the final stroke of the cymbal is a perfect arc.

It is noteworthy that artistry of this quality was on display at the height of the Civil Rights struggle, and when all the performers on the recording were experiencing racial discrimination on a daily basis. Ella Fitzgerald was herself forced off a Pan-Am flight, with fellow Black American musicians, en route to their tour of Australia in 1954. She subsequently sued the company successfully for damages.

The video ascribes the clarinet solo incorrectly to Russell Procope. In fact it was played by Jimmy Hamilton.


MUSICAL EXCERPTS USED IN THIS VIDEO

Caravan by Juan Tizol, orchestrated by Duke Ellington

Performers: Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Band

From Ella Fitzgerald sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
(recorded June - October 1957, Hollwood, California)


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Edited by Ian Coulter ( https://www.iancoultermusic.com )
Produced and directed by Ian Coulter & Matthew King