The Blanton–Webster Band


The Blanton-Webster Band is a compilation album that combines the master takes of all the recordings by Duke Ellington's Orchestra during the years of 1940 to 1942, involving bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. The recordings were originally made for RCA Victor during what many critics regard as the Ellington orchestra's golden period. The three CDs contain many numbers which were to become classics, and the arrangements were frequently inventive and innovative.
It was voted number 283 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.
The collection does not include alternate takes or the duets Ellington performed with Jimmy Blanton, available elsewhere. With 66 tracks, the selection includes many of Ellington's hits and classic songs. Rolling Stone praises the collection as "a masterwork of composition and leadership" and "a series of individual triumphs from the greatest team of jazz players...ever assembled". Allmusic describes it as "essential for all jazz collections".
Bassist Blanton was only with the Ellington orchestra for two years, retiring in 1941 due to tuberculosis, and dying the following year at the age of 23. Despite this compilation's title, Blanton does not appear on the final 17 tracks of the collection, having been replaced on bass by Alvin "Junior" Raglin.
The collection was re-organized, rereleased, and remastered with additional tracks in 2003 as .

Track list

Unless otherwise noted, all tracks by Duke Ellington.

Disc one

  1. "You, You Darlin'" - 3:19
  2. "Jack the Bear" - 3:15
  3. "Ko Ko" - 2:39
  4. "Morning Glory" - 3:15
  5. "So Far, So Good" - 2:50
  6. "Conga Brava" - 2:54
  7. "Concerto for Cootie" - 3:19
  8. "Me and You" - 2:54
  9. "Cotton Tail" - 3:08
  10. "Never No Lament " - 3:15
  11. "Dusk" - 3:19
  12. "Bojangles" - 2:50
  13. "A Portrait of Bert Williams" - 3:09
  14. "Blue Goose" - 3:21
  15. "Harlem Air Shaft" - 2:57
  16. "At a Dixie Roadside Diner" - - 2:45
  17. "All Too Soon" - 3:28
  18. "Rumpus in Richmond" - 2:46
  19. "My Greatest Mistake" - 3:27
  20. "Sepia Panorama" - 3:20
  21. "There Shall Be No Night" - 3:05
  22. "In a Mellow Tone" - 3:19

    Disc two

  23. "Five O'Clock Whistle" - 3:18
  24. "Warm Valley" - 3:20
  25. "The Flaming Sword" - 3:06
  26. "Across the Track Blues" - 2:58
  27. "Chloe" - 3:24
  28. "I Never Felt This Way Before" - 3:23
  29. "The Sidewalks of New York" - 3:14
  30. "Flamingo" - 3:22
  31. "The Girl in My Dreams Tries to Look Like You" - 3:19
  32. "Take the "A" Train" - 2:54
  33. "Jumpin' Punkins" - 3:33
  34. "John Hardy's Wife" - 3:28
  35. "Blue Serge" - 3:20
  36. "After All" - 3:19
  37. "Bakiff" - 3:23
  38. "Are You Sticking?" - 3:02
  39. "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'" - 3:33
  40. "The Giddybug Gallop" - 3:29
  41. "Chocolate Shake" - 2:50
  42. "I Got It Bad " - 3:17
  43. "Clementine" - 2:53
  44. "Brown-Skin Gal " - 3:06

    Disc three

  45. "Jump for Joy" - 2:50
  46. "Moon Over Cuba" - 3:09
  47. "Five O'Clock Drag" - 2:49
  48. "Rocks in My Bed" - 3:06
  49. "Bli-Blip" - 3:03
  50. "Chelsea Bridge" - 2:52
  51. "Rain Check" - 2:28
  52. "What Good Would It Do?" - 2:44
  53. "I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got" - 3:13
  54. "Perdido" - 3:08
  55. "C Jam Blues" - 2:37
  56. "Moon Mist" - 2:58
  57. "What Am I Here For?" - 3:28
  58. "I Don't Mind" - 2:49
  59. "Someone" - 3:09
  60. "My Little Brown Book" - 3:13
  61. "Main Stem" - 2:47
  62. "Johnny Come Lately" - 2:39
  63. "Hayfoot, Strawfoot" - 2:30
  64. "Sentimental Lady" - 2:58
  65. "A Slip of the Lip " - 2:54
  66. "Sherman Shuffle" - 2:38

    Personnel

Performance