Added: 5 years ago
From: wilo65
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  • makes me sleepy

  • For some reason, the lack of capitalization on "Mood Indigo" annoys me more than it reasonably should...

  • Just amazing!!! Perfect sound for my end of the day...

  • I always thought this was such a damn fine name for a song

  • What a great version beautiful sound brilliant musicians tremendous band

  • Oh my GOOOOOODDDDDDDD, this jams. I was going through my Music Appreciation book and since it's Finals week, I'm on the last chapter that would be covered on the test, but I noticed there were many more. And while I had to sift through all the BORING SHIT, I came to the "lost chapters." Jazz. Ragtime. Blues. Even Modern Musical Theatre. This is by far one of the greatest pieces I've heard in a LONG TIME.

  • funny i use to think clarinets and bass clarinets were dumb.

    i was so closed minded.

  • @MenaceJames While I agree on the Lady Gaga front, im not sure I totally agree with you about the beatles. The number of songs you write doesnt make you a better musician, The beatles defined a generation. not to mention the fact that they are totally different types of musicalities.

  • I know it's sublime because I was transported right now

  • @Syllerud i think when he says that there cant be any comparisons, he means that it would be stupid to compare because of the difference in apparent musicallity, not necessarily that it is wrong to do the act of comparing

  • they so got that swing!!!

  • to add to the previous comment war about lady gaga, she has just as much musical talent as duke ellington or most great musical figures. however, ellington spent his whole life working and he wrote like a thousand songs. lady gaga, meanwhile, probably spends 5 minutes on each song she writes, and spends most of her time on her "public image". she's a great singer if you look into her less known work, but the dance-techno shit she puts on the radio will never be remembered like the duke's stuff.

  • By the way the clarinet soloist was Russel Procope and not Jimmy Hamilton, it's a lovely clip, thanks for posting it.

  • the duke gives me chills every time

  • magnifique... rien d'autre a dire

  • yeaah

  • I just saw the statistics, and the video, as with most pre-1990 music-related ones, is more popular with men above 35. and I got somewhat shocked about this. What do women and younger people in general listen to these days of ''ear-soring'' pop music and ''socially-relevant'' sitcoms? (to name a few bad things we have).

  • @rodrigoarayap1995 Um, no, im telling you, that's really just because our popular media has been set up to make the shittiest shit seem good. Since it's percieved as cool....well you get the picture.

  • Luckily there is youtube and bittorrent, and decent role models do exist. Not all youngsters are clueless about music. (Special hullo to all the youngsters reading this! Keep exploring!)

  • @stracepipe You're quite right and yes, you need far fewer sales to make a hit these days, and the required threshold is falling yearly.

  • thats jazz, the real...

  • I find it extremely interesting that this is one of the only youtube videos where the viewers bother to use proper word syntax in their comments.

  • I read in the Big Sea that Duke Ellingtion played in the Cotton Club in NY where black patronage was not permitted. Big name entertainment only. Billie Holiday on the other hand (a decade later), played at Cafe Society which was one of the first integrated clubs of the time. The Big Sea is Langston Hughes's autobiography -covering the 1920s "Harlem Renaissance." a term he did not use or appreciate for good reason.

  • First clarinet solo is Russell Procope.Jimmy Hamilton was sitting too the right of Willie Smith.

  • First clarinet solo is Russell Procope.

  • Who's that who takes the first solo on clarinet anyone?

  • this is not duck ellington

  • @tapedeckghost4 yes it is. hes on piano. and this is his big band

  • Once a year every musician should put down his instrument and give thanks for Duke Ellington. ~Miles Davis

  • Snillen spekulerar?

  • I hate it when people claim there's no good music these days. There's plenty of good music, you just have to find it.

    But I have to wonder what happened to the days of good popular music. All of the hits these days suck. Did people just start having terrible taste or what?

  • @Ajapam34 What happened was that in the eighties the record companies combined and began to view music in much more ruthless business terms. If a band didn't promise fairly immediate profits right away then they were dropped. This led to a creeping homogenization and an increasing catering to the lowest common denominator. Factor in the pop idol stuff and the download market, and you get our current situation. What happened is that quality music became unprofitable.

  • @Ajapam34 people don't have terrble taste, it's just the record industry for some reason known only to itself is aiming at prepubescent kids. As for 'popular', I suspect that you have to sell far, far fewer records now to have a 'hit' than say 40 years ago.

  • @Ajapam34 All these new reality shows have made it too easy for musicians to become famous. These musicians are not as passionate as the ones who had to go through the grind, hard times, and many times downright poverty to make it, relying on pure talent, will, and true love of music. These artists go on American Idol sing a few songs (none of which are original) and then get signed and drop meaningless albums. They also try to cater to the masses instead of a focused genre -result- bad music.

  • @Ajapam34 All these new reality shows have made it too easy for musicians to become famous. These musicians are not as passionate as the ones who had to go through the grind, hard times, and many times downright poverty to make it, relying on pure talent, will, and true love of music. These artists go on American Idol sing a few songs (none of which are original) and then get signed and drop meaningless albums. They also try to cater to the masses instead of a focused genre -result- bad music.

  • great post! and i'd like to know: what is the next song (you hear a bit of?

  • great post! and i'd like to know: what is the next song (you hear a bit of)?

  • great trumpet solo... who's that Ray Nance?

  • How can there be any comparisons? Ellington wrote over 1000 pieces of work for almost 6 decades and defined what American music was and what it could be. Music 100+ years ago in the US was almost entirely classical European music, and then you have these black Americans creating and improvising these complicated sounds that have never been heard before and making it the hottest music in it's time. Elvis can't touch that, the Beatles can't touch that, and Lady Gaga certainly can't touch that.

  • @MenaceJames No music just pops up out of nowhere, and that includes jazz. It evolved out of whatever musical traditions the slaves brought with them and then mixed with Western music, hymns, spirituals, etc.. (I would not say what people listened to 100+ years ago in the US was "classical." Grandfather's Clock isn't exactly Beethoven.) Improvisation has existed in all societies at all times. Jazz is a lot less special than people tend to think it is, although it is, of course, distinct.

  • @MaestroTJS I never said the music came from nowhere, so I don't understand where that implication came from. Also, popular music was ballroom, waltz's, opera's, and musicals that were extremely European and heavily reliant on classical forms. And, certainly other musicians improvised, but not during performances where everything was strictly written down. Jazz musicians borrowed from this sound and played with another until eventually it became greater than the sum of it's parts. It's evolution

  • @MenaceJames I think you are forgetting other musical influences that would have come over from various immigrant groups which have much more in common with jazz than written-down Western/European music and probably played a role--that includes other popular European music (especially Eastern), Jewish music, etc.. Debussy and others began using jazz-like harmonies around 100+ years ago, but how much of that came from or went to the popular music of their time might be debatable....

  • @MenaceJames except that now the "Complicated sounds that have never been heard before" sound like someone dropped a violin in a giant garbage disposal... hip-hop/rap today is slowly destroying music.

  • @MenaceJames I not sure that music in the U.S. 100 + years ago was not almost entirely classical European music. Classical music is not what was being played on the plantations in the North and South 148 years ago. Jazz came after a long line of music in the U.S. introduced through the black culture - Spirituals, country, blues, then Jazz. Jazz was at its peak from the 20s throughout the 30s and 40s. But I don't know much about classical music in the U.S. though - it always takes me to Europe.

  • @MenaceJames I agree, the trouble is music today just isn't about the music any more, people want it in their eyes as well as their ears, so as a result so many popular musicians spend so much time on the 'image' instead of just playing their instrument and getting good at it

  • @MenaceJames what about MC Hammer?

  • @MenaceJames Listen to yourself. You say: How can there be any comparisons? And then end your sentence with "Lady Gaga certainly can't touch that". That's a comparison! The music, the musical process, the feelings, the society all have changed.

  • @Syllerud well said

  • @MenaceJames neither can mc hammer lol cant touch this!

  • @MenaceJames Amen brother!

  • @MenaceJames Not even MC Hammer can touch this

  • If you want a deeper understanding of Duke Ellington's life, music, and influence, read "Duke Ellington's America," a masterful book.

  • Why is this great? In this composition my teacher said Ellington address the hardest parts of the Clarinet and the most noteson the trumpet to show his players skills I'd say. The piece became so popular they were almost forced to write words to this beautiful number. Thanks a million for allowing us to hare this moment in time. Really special for musicians. <3

  • Who's playing Bass Clarinet? is it Harry Carney or am i just being hopeful?

  • Willie Cook plays one of the tastiest trumpet solos I've ever heard on here!

  • This is fantastic--Duke Ellington had a really fantastic band, and almost makes me cry at such beautiful jazz music.

    All the Lady Gaga comments...I must add though--seriously, an artist? In 70 years her ear gouging music will finally be seen for what it really is. It hurts the ears, the heart, and the mind--unlike this timeless classic. If there is any non-gimmicky non-catastrophe music left, it is definitely not lady gaga. Pushing the bounds does not equal Quality at ALL. I'm 19 years old.

  • @Folkaphone And I am also a musician, albeit a sad one at the train wreck that is the music business.

  • Lady Gaga will go gaga in some decades - but Duke and many of his likes are already dead and still live through their music!

  • I thought you said you were going to delete these ?!?!!!!

  • Celebrities like lady gaga or Justin Beiber come and go, but legends like Duke Ellington and Benny or Glenn Stay forever.

  • True, Ellington was very politically active - a main player in the Harlem rennaissance. I haven't researched into too much but i'm guessing he was involved in the civil rights movement - correct me if i'm wrong...

  • @saxophile999 you are right in a way, he didn't publicly help but he did help in his songs. He did support though.

  • love this song

    

  • What's funny is that this younger generation or generation foolish as it should be called has no moral fabric at all, everything they discuss is a topic of hate, debate or they can't relate, . How can listning to classic music like this even garner an argument?

  • im surprised most people dont understand that lady gaga and duke are the same people of there time.

    different time...

    SAME PEOPLE.

    so why should there be any argument at all? im sure in 70 years people will look back and say, "ahhh Lady Gaga. What an artist." - and they will be correct, just like people now who drool over duke.

  • @Thetranceman672

    AGREED!

    You should add Ozzy Ozbourrne to your list to make it 'the complete' greats of the 20th century.

    I am sure that 1000s will continue to play LGG's profound output of work for years to come and beyond.

    That is...if anyone remembers her in 10 years... :)

    (I am assuming you were 100% kidding in your post....and if not...ooo you are troubled!)

  • @Thetranceman672

    dude clearly your not the one understanding.... Lady Gaga isn't comparable to Duke Ellington, they arent even in the same genre of music and Duke Ellington was and still is a legend

  • @kmutbutt1996 And his point is that in 70 years, Lady Gaga will be a legend. They're both innovative, unique, popular artists of their times. I prefer Duke much much much much more, but that doesn't mean that somehow Lady Gaga doesn't have any artistic integrity. Never forget that all art is subjective - to say that someone's stupid for personally enjoying both equally or one over the other is a hundred times more stupid.

  • @Thetranceman672 There are so many differences between the two of them. People now are so quick to say these pop artists are the next this and that, but Gaga has done nothing musically different than anyone else has. Duke was an innovator and a pioneer of monumental importance to both music and race barriers. Neither can be said of Lady Gaga. Not only that, but Duke had over 10 number one singles, and a career at the top of his field. That ugly woman has only been around for a couple years.

  • @Thetranceman672 I get what you're trying to say, but it just doesn't add up. To be equivalent to Duke, she would have to exert a much more profound influence on the course of music than she does. She would also require a hell of a lot more talent than she has and to continue producing music beyond the point her sex appeal runs out. There were flash-in-the-pan jazz people; she will be the equivalent to them almost certainly.

  • @MaestroTJS African traditions of any kind were stripped from the slaves when they were seasoned in the Caribbean. Jazz came out of the oppression of blacks in America, namely Harlem, not their African roots. (This is not to say African music is not enjoyable either.)

  • @Tfr3sh17 I'm not sure where you're getting your mythology from, but that bears no resemblance to the truth. Jazz and blues have many characteristics of West African music, so obviously something was retained. The speculation is that blacks sang while they worked, and it later evolved in its own direction, adding some elements of Western music along the way. I'm sure there are a lot of other traditions that survived underground as well.

  • @MaestroTJS I didn't mean to say that none of the African traits made it to the new world.

  • is that a bass clarinet, does not sound like a sax

  • @Crazyflowereater Yes, it is a Bass Clarinet. Bass Clarinets are not as curved as most Saxophones. A Sax's bell would be curved up more, and the only saxophone I have seen with a curved neck is a Tenor.

  • Try to beat this modern music.........

  • Comment removed

  • i wish i could just go back to the 60's i mean music today is just going to get worse

  • @MasterCheif117Halo this was before the 60's

  • I watched a video in my jazz class that said duke composed this in 15 minutes while driving in a taxi... what a genius

  • sometimes I just listen to this and softly cry. I don't always know if I'm sad or happy, but it does feel right.

  • Duke Ellington and lady gaga. Did I piss everybody off?

  • you guys are talking as if lady gaga was somehow responsible for the decline of modern civilization. she's smarter and more creative than 99% of all pop artists working today - she's an artist. so was duke. britney spears is not an artist. she is a product.

  • I love the way they have to share the microphone for solo's

  • When first performed about ten years ago, the trombone part (played by Sam Nanton) was at least an octave higher, very difficult for a trombone. In fact, the published arrangement had that part played by a trumpet instead; it was thought too difficult for someone just buying an arrangement in a music store . . .

  • Un pur moment de bonheur

    "isn't too speed..for me..?"

  • 11 people must be deaf or totally insain cuz this is the best jazz ever!!!!! :3

  • I can't believe how old this is. it sounds like it was composed with the mindset of the now. It sounds so ahead of its time by a long time.

  • it doesn't have lyrics?

  • @264sandy poetry has lyrics. Music has notes.

  • @264sandy Yes, it has lyrics.

  • j'adoooore cette chanson =)

  • who is that on bass

  • 10 people must have been so amazed by the music that they hit the wrong button

  • wow this is incredible :)

  • I teach jazz music to my 8th grade music class and I have been scouring YouTube for videos of the original musicians playing the compositions they need to know. I will definately be using this one! Thanks for posting!

  • Barney Bigard told us a funny story years ago. He was interviewed by late night KFI, La. DJ, Scott Ellsworth. I was in the booth with them at the time and this song was played. I really can't recall who Bigard was referring to but he told us one of the guys always had trouble getting the words, Mood Indigo out, and always pronounced it as Moody MaGoo. Long,long time ago. Last time I saw him he was playing in the VI. I liked the guy. Wish I'd asked a lot of questions, but was tongue tied .

  • This was an era when music was more entertainment then exhibition, and the musicians knew their instruments. They even dressed the part then. Even today's musicians who do have some talent, seem to dress on stage like anyone off the street. Like maybe under a bridge. And you are correct re. who's better then who. They were different and some would prefer one style over another, but they were all giants back then. None like em today. None!

  • Now this is the good stuff. This is when ALL musicians had amazing talent... unlike today's music world.

  • @SMOKEinPetrone you're not looking in the right places...

  • @SMOKEinPetrone I'm pretty sure there were just as many shitty musicians back then. Just not as many successful ones as there are now.

  • @SMOKEinPetrone we can only hope that the few of us can sway the country back into this music.

  • @SMOKEinPetrone what's wrong with you?

  • @JinNey6 whats wrong with you?

  • @SMOKEinPetrone you think today's music has no talent. Thats false, all the musicians have talents you ass hole. you dont know shit about music or talent retard

  • tHE CLARINETIS IS NOT Jimmy Hamilton, IS RUSSELL PROCOPE

  • I believe the dislikes registered above are about comments . . . isn't that the case? because otherwise its hard to imagine someone disliking this stuff

  • On the original record, the trombone plays very, very high.

    When the arrangement was published, that part was then written for trumpet because the stock music publisher felt it unlikely that any less-than-very professional trombone player could handle it.

  • Something so relaxing and cooooool! Good to read your comments folks! Have a great holiday and Happy New Year luv BB

  • As my gran used to say to a track like this - woooow!

    Then Mr Eric Walkden would get up there and play it just as sweet....

    Sadly missed trumpet legend.....

  • Well,you say "after Jimmy Hamilton playing"...but that's Russel Procope look at the Albert Clarinet. Hamilton played a regular Boehm Clarinet

    Albert clarinet was also played by Bigard. hear the same voice?

  • Can u believe that there's 10 people who dislikes this video? ....... feel sorry for u guys .....

  • You CANNOT COMPARE LADY GAGA TO THE GREAT DUKE!...

    for one.. they played at totally different times....

    Also most artists she grew up listening to have listened to the DUKE and obtained some kind of musical prowess from him....

    ONCE AGAIN YOU CAN NEVER COMPARE THE TWO!

  • never compare!.....never!

  • while i agree that classifying lady gaga as music is just wrong, i don't think she merits violence. as for jimmy hamilton, he is always wonderful. to follow bigard so differently and so well...

  • It's good to hear the tape hiss. Definitely something missing from digital music.

  • @Crscnt61 I <3 you old-timer

  • i've been looking for this!

  • This was my grandmother and grandfathers love anthem. Wonderful stuff and a wonderful version of it too.

  • Duke could always get such unique sounds out of his instruments! It really does sound BLUE...

  • 0:33, doesn't make you feel you;re seeing purples and yellows?

  • feels dreamy

  • @Amarynthine well actually, the original title of this tune was "Dreamy Blues." Originally conceived by a New Orleans jazzman named Lorenzio Tio. He came to NY and visited his former student Barney Bigard, New Orleans clarinetist in the Ellington orchestra. Bigard took the tune, reworked it, gave it to Ellington, and Duke wrote a theme around it. Duke wrote that when they 1st played it on the radio it was so popular that somebody wrote lyrics and renamed it "Mood Indigo"

  • A great old classic embedded in our memories.

  • 10 people hate music

  • @YaMajT nah, they just can't read or use a computer...

  • @undalux that may be it too

  • Rah rah ra-ah-aah

  • @backyardbaseballdj Congratulations! youve been flagged for speaking the lyrics of one of the worst musician in a video of one of the best! Have a Nice Day ^_^

  • @vincent834 First of all, I dont consider her a musician. Second, please read the highest rated comment, from worseto. Now, see how mine is almost an ironic slap in the face, but in a humorous manner? Have a Better Day :3

  • I love this song. I had to listen to this song from the Duke and Louis Armstrong. My parents told me louis was singing and lost his part or something and he did that bobo buboodoabowa he does. I think he is great also.

  • How can 10 people dislike this song...

  • wilo65, please don't delete,there are many whosincerely appreciate your presentations. thank you so very much from someone who has made playing music his livelihood. again thanks, terence.

  • Jazz is always nice. it's a legacy.

  • It is indeed Russell Procope playing clarinet. Jimmy Hamilton is sitting to the right of Willie Smith, from this viewpoint, behind Procope. The trumpet player is Willie Cook.

  • Mood Indigo! *sigh* I absolutely love Duke Ellington AND his awesome band. I don't care whose songs he is playing whether he wrote them or someone else... HE IS PHENOMENAL!!!! :D

  • @lapreciosa852010 Frank Sinatra never wrote a song and feel the wrath when you attempt to explain how little Frank Sinatra did.

  • Billy Strayhorn is not in this video, if he was he'd be playing piano instead of Duke.

    I think the clarinetist is Russell Procope, not Jimmy Hamilton. One giveaway is the old Albert style fingering system, instead of the generally more modern Boehm system.

    The soloists all sound great to me. One of the true classics of American music.

  • preboha. dobre stare. az je mi do placu... :( uz len ked si predstavis ze to bolo pred 71 rokmi.

  • Sublime.

  • Comment removed

  • beauuuuutiful.

  • very very nice

  • 300,500 views :D

  • so much in the two notes at 3:07-3:08!

  • This song is so relaxing my shoes pour off my feet.

    The Moody Blues named themselves, in part, from the title of this song.

    Uh, hmm, is that the Scatman on piano?

  • Please if anyone even dare tries to compare lady ga ga to duke they should be banned from you tube forever and thrown off a boat in the atlantic.

  • @worseto HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA­HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH­AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAA

    Whoo! THat was hilarious!!!

  • @worseto What is there to compare even?

  • @worseto

    The great Duke Ellington would probably roll over in his grave if he heard that some fool was comparing Lady GaGa to perhaps the greatest jazz Big Band pianist and composer of all-time. Seriously, can anyone be so stupid as to even mention Lady GaGa in the same sentence as the all-time master that was Duke?

  • @jlmusicfan57 you just did in the last sentence lol

  • @jlmusicfan57 You just did twice lol

  • @tatersalad4real

    I just love it when some individual responds back to a comment posted months ago! It makes me think that you spend your whole life reading comments posted by people here at YT, there tatersalad. I wish that I had the time to while away my life doing what you do pal!

  • @jlmusicfan57 it's top rated stupid. It's right at the top there.

  • @jlmusicfan57 GaGa is a pretty unique and gifted performer but i agree, she comes nowhere close to duke

  • @jlmusicfan57 you just used the two in the same sentence.

  • @jlmusicfan57 You just did. (:

  • @robin17171

    I just love it when some clown like you responds to a comment that was posted 7 months ago. Have you nothing else going on in your life?

  • @jlmusicfan57 Is it so bad I like to read comments? What's wrong with that? I know you are mad because I just called you on your own game. There is no need. You are the one that complained, are you sure it is me that doesn't have a life? :P

  • @jlmusicfan57 You forgot to mention the fact that he was leading the best band that has ever existed. Just saying. All musicians in his band were at the time the best there was; both as solo and in ensemble.

  • @jlmusicfan57 "Seriously, can anyone be so stupid as to even mention Lady GaGa in the same sentence as the all-time master that was Duke?"

    I can, watch: Ellington rules and Gaga sucks.

  • @jlmusicfan57 I think Ellington-GaGa would make a good combo

  • @jlmusicfan57 I DIDN'T KNOW DEAD PEOPLE CAN MOVE!!!! THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!! :D

  • @worseto there's no comparison, thats like apple and oranges!

  • @Amarynthine agree 100%

  • @worseto haha i wasn't gonna say all that but I definitely see ur point. Its amazing to think the two would even come up in the same conversation, let alone mentioned in the same sentence

  • @worseto you mean the pacific?? theres more sharks there less chance of survival.

  • @worseto mariana trench

  • @worseto  No, the Arctic.

  • @worseto

    Lady gaga =/=, >, or < Duke Ellington. She just IS. And we leave her outta the 40s-50s. And hopefully all the time after that until the 2000s, because, by then, we have enough good music to block her out.

  • @worseto harsh, lol. but true.

  • @worseto it is very easy to compare GAGA with Duke Ellington, because they are very different. It would be very difficult to compare them with eachother if they where both the samen. You would'nt know who was who..

  • Someone claimed they saw Billy Strayhorn in there?!? Where? BTW, if any of you would like to hear more of this particular edition of Duke's band, find a copy (most of it reissued on CD), of Ellington '55, originally on Capitol. It has the entire personnel listed.