Duke Ellington - Things Ain't What They Used To Be (1996) Mp3

This is the kind of compilation that drives serious fans of Duke Ellington crazy. The only information provided by the budget label Laserlight about the ten tracks present is that they were recorded in 1966 and 1969, but no personnel list is provided. Not much effort went into checking the song titles; the last track, labeled "The Unknown," is actually "B.P. Blues." Presumably, many of these selections came from either bootleg sources or rejected takes, since obvious sound flaws such as feedback, occasionally sloppy ensembles, and poor balance would have caused the bandleader to reject many of them. While true Ellington enthusiasts will be able to identify the presence of Johnny Hodges, Cat Anderson, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, and Harry Carney (though the pianist does introduce some of the featured soloists), this CD is of borderline interest at best to collectors of Duke Ellington.