This two-disc set is a true historical treasure. An amateur recording of a
Duke Ellington
dance engagement at the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota made by two dedicated fans, one a high-school senior at the time, and the other a college student, coupled with a remote radio broadcast complete with a KVOX announcer, it makes a fascinating document of an era long gone.
Ellington
's famed orchestra at the time consisted of
Rex Stewart
,
Wallace Jones
Ray Nance
Sam Nanton
Juan Tizol
Lawrence Brown
Barney Bigard
Johnny Hodges
Otto Hardwick
Ben Webster
Harry Carney
Fred Guy
Jimmy Blanton
Sonny Greer
, and vocalists
Ivie Anderson
and
Herb Jeffries
, and having played the night before in Winnipeg, Canada and traveling by train, they still delivered a fine set. This is not a professional recording, however, with occasional missed openings and several ongoing microphone adjustments throughout, but that adds to the immediacy and intimacy of it all, really, and as an archival document of one of jazz's greatest bands in full dress at a typical gig, this set is simply a blessing to have and to hear. ~ Steve Leggett