I still believe this is Duke Ellington's tribute to the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Queen Florence Mills. You see her dancing influenced Washington, Josephine Baker and others during that period.
Arthur Whetsol had the most heart-breakingly beautiful tone of all the Ellington trumpeters! And did you know that the dancer in this film, Fredi Washington, was the future wife of a future Ellington trombonist, Lawrence Brown?
@SANTARII Yes, you are right. It must be an editing error in the original movie. Almost all movies use seperate audio and video tracks, that are mixed together later. Even up till today. Now with digital editing it is not difficult to get it together, but in 1929 it was still very complicated.
I heard of this film a while back, and am happy to see it. Love the Ellington genre, and ALL the classics from that era...what a delicious dancer! And just as sad an ending. thx for posting! Favorite-ing it!
Would you consider uploading the original in two parts? This is a Dudley Murphy film--rare, valuable, and very difficult to find. What you have here is some of the best-quality footage I've seen, but what's chopped out is some extraordinary camera work, and one of the few short films from Harlem Renaissance artists available, by one of the best avant-garde American filmmakers of the time.
the girl in this,Fredi Washington,is probably best remembered for the 1934 version of Imitation Of Life with Claudette Colbert.
I really love this period in Jazz,especially for Ellington..Not enough attention is given to it i think..Its a whole 'nother world of complex rhythms and haunting tone scapes..
Ellington was a great composer; by the time he'd written "Black, Brown & Beige" his reputation, which was already largely set, became sealed with the immortals.
BBB was 1943. In my ears his best recordings are the great 1940 band with Blanton/Webster. It is a big pity that the energy and artistic love Ellington put in BBB was not rewarded properly. He should have had the chance to develop further from that. Alas commercial and political pressures prevented that. But anyway he's my favourite composer, regardless of style.
@ABrandsma Would you consider uploading the original in two parts? This is a Dudley Murphy film--rare, valuable, and very difficult to find. What you have here is some of the best-quality footage I've seen, but what's chopped out is some extraordinary camera work, and one of the few short films from Harlem Renaissance artists available, by one of the best avant-garde American filmmakers of the time.
@hexical23 I had to fit it in 10 minutes, since youtube didn't allow longer then. Being a musician I only took the music parts.
I could do what you ask for, but not now, since I'm playing in the Cologne Opera House right now and after that will go on tour with the big Chris Barber band to Austria and Liechtenstein afterwards.
Will take a couple of weeks before I return to my home.
No, I would almost say, alas not. Bubber Miley had allready left the Ellington band at the time of this recording. You can see the difference when you watch the mute. Bubber always used the plunger mute. Arthur was not specialised in that, so his best way to imitate Bubber's solo was to use a Harmon mute.
I have it complete. The missing parts are mainly dialogue, interesting to hear Ellington's voice at young age. The story is not very strong though, I guess that it was kind of a publicity stunt from Ellington's manager, Erving Mills, to present him in a short movie.
The problem is that when I uploaded this, youtube didn't allow longer then 10 minutes. Maybe it is on Dailymotion.
You can buy it on a DVD from Denmark, on the label storyville. It has more nice film by Ellington 1929 - 1943
@ABrandsma Actually right after I watched this, I googled it and found the movie segmented into three parts on some video streaming sight, and watched it. the only reason I heard about it is because I am reading this book about jazz that mentioned it. That's also how I can accross Salt Peanuts.
@ABrandsma She played Louise Beavers' daughter in the first version of Imitation of Life, trying to pass for white. Claudette Colbert was in it too. I think it came out around 1934.
I've long been interested in Ellington's underrated (but not by him) trumpeter Artie Whetsol. He had the most beautiful timbre and Duke thought highly of him both as a friend and as a musician. Artie died young of a brain tumour in 1940 but he left tantalising glimpses behind of his rare talent. He's known for playing "sweet" but as we can see from the movie clip he could stand in for Bubber Miley without fuss. Ellington described him as "one of the really good readers".
That's right. During this time Ellington's trumpetters all had their showcases, Freddy Jenkins also could play, check Tiger Rag, but history only remembers the plunger solo's by Cootie and Bubber.
The same with alto sax, people only talk about Hodges, although Sentimental Mood and Sophisticated lady in fact were features for Otto Hardwicke.
That's right. During this time Ellington's trumpetters all had their showcases, Freddy Jenkins also could play, check Tiger Rag, but history only remembers the plunger solo's by Cootie and Bubber.
The same with alto sax, people only talk about Hodges, although Sentimental Mood and Sophisticated lady in fact were features for Otto Hardwicke.
What a fantastic little piece--the music is outstanding, and the imagery very stylistic; I loved the use of reflection in fliming the dancers (that flapper/hula girl surely was Pre-Code!).
My student-trumpeter-daughter plays this kind of stuff with a hardware store plunger for a mute. Maybe the movie people thought that was just too crude....
Thanks so very much for sharing this; it's a fascinating glimpse into early jazz!
Originally the solo was also played with the plunger mute, but that trumpetter, Bubber Miley, who was a specialist with the plunger had left the Ellington band when this movie was recorded.
So much precision , insight and imagination! Way ahead of it's time with cutting edge technology.
harleywhitesr 1 month ago
2:57 and you wonder where Marry Poppins got the penguins from
fighterace0 6 months ago
I still believe this is Duke Ellington's tribute to the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Queen Florence Mills. You see her dancing influenced Washington, Josephine Baker and others during that period.
nubiansista4life 6 months ago
Arthur Whetsol had the most heart-breakingly beautiful tone of all the Ellington trumpeters! And did you know that the dancer in this film, Fredi Washington, was the future wife of a future Ellington trombonist, Lawrence Brown?
TheFifingIrish 8 months ago
2:03
Piano, but no piano sound?
SANTARII 10 months ago
@SANTARII Yes, you are right. It must be an editing error in the original movie. Almost all movies use seperate audio and video tracks, that are mixed together later. Even up till today. Now with digital editing it is not difficult to get it together, but in 1929 it was still very complicated.
ABrandsma 10 months ago
Ahead of it's time
n64wilbert 10 months ago
@n64wilbert Definitly!
ABrandsma 10 months ago
@ABrandsma Was distributed by Vitaphone?
n64wilbert 2 months ago
Comment removed
jaybyrd570 10 months ago
o dislikes..... Ellington gets a perfect score..... again.
103sloppyjoe 10 months ago
@103sloppyjoe He deserves it as greatest composer of the 20th century!
ABrandsma 10 months ago
I heard of this film a while back, and am happy to see it. Love the Ellington genre, and ALL the classics from that era...what a delicious dancer! And just as sad an ending. thx for posting! Favorite-ing it!
orcanjus 11 months ago
Comment removed
hexical23 11 months ago
Would you consider uploading the original in two parts? This is a Dudley Murphy film--rare, valuable, and very difficult to find. What you have here is some of the best-quality footage I've seen, but what's chopped out is some extraordinary camera work, and one of the few short films from Harlem Renaissance artists available, by one of the best avant-garde American filmmakers of the time.
hexical23 11 months ago
Thank God someone had the good sense to record these moments in history! Also, thanks to Jim Demetre for finding this!
caberrysmith 1 year ago
the girl in this,Fredi Washington,is probably best remembered for the 1934 version of Imitation Of Life with Claudette Colbert.
I really love this period in Jazz,especially for Ellington..Not enough attention is given to it i think..Its a whole 'nother world of complex rhythms and haunting tone scapes..
malondo7 1 year ago
Had this 2-reeler in my super 8mm film collection back in the early 1970s and it was my favorite and a the biggest crowd pleaser!
malondo7 1 year ago
@malondo7 Ellington always had a lot of magic!
ABrandsma 1 year ago 4
Ellington was a great composer; by the time he'd written "Black, Brown & Beige" his reputation, which was already largely set, became sealed with the immortals.
SatchmoSings 1 year ago
BBB was 1943. In my ears his best recordings are the great 1940 band with Blanton/Webster. It is a big pity that the energy and artistic love Ellington put in BBB was not rewarded properly. He should have had the chance to develop further from that. Alas commercial and political pressures prevented that. But anyway he's my favourite composer, regardless of style.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
The trumpet's amazin, also i didn't know that thing was actually termed a plunger...
Shame the vid's been cut up... although I'm pretty sure I didn't spot Frankie Half-Pint Jaxon, who wiki said was in it
busessuck1 1 year ago
I had to shorten it, since youtube allowed 10 minutes max. So as being a musician, I cut out the dialogue parts.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
@ABrandsma please put up a video with Frankie Half-Pint Jaxon! i've heard this record of him and it'll be cool to see him perform!
rockyraaacoon 1 year ago
@ABrandsma Would you consider uploading the original in two parts? This is a Dudley Murphy film--rare, valuable, and very difficult to find. What you have here is some of the best-quality footage I've seen, but what's chopped out is some extraordinary camera work, and one of the few short films from Harlem Renaissance artists available, by one of the best avant-garde American filmmakers of the time.
hexical23 11 months ago
@hexical23 I had to fit it in 10 minutes, since youtube didn't allow longer then. Being a musician I only took the music parts.
I could do what you ask for, but not now, since I'm playing in the Cologne Opera House right now and after that will go on tour with the big Chris Barber band to Austria and Liechtenstein afterwards.
Will take a couple of weeks before I return to my home.
ABrandsma 11 months ago
WU TANG
66999 1 year ago
Ellington was a fucking badass!
chickyree 1 year ago
No, he was the greatest composer in the 20th century.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
@ABrandsma I would have to agree with that.
chickyree 1 year ago
Isn't that Bubber Miley, not Arthur Whetsol?
chas63 1 year ago
No, I would almost say, alas not. Bubber Miley had allready left the Ellington band at the time of this recording. You can see the difference when you watch the mute. Bubber always used the plunger mute. Arthur was not specialised in that, so his best way to imitate Bubber's solo was to use a Harmon mute.
Kind regards,
Bert Brandsma
ABrandsma 1 year ago
anybody know where I can find the rest of this
DimensionsofChange 1 year ago
I have it complete. The missing parts are mainly dialogue, interesting to hear Ellington's voice at young age. The story is not very strong though, I guess that it was kind of a publicity stunt from Ellington's manager, Erving Mills, to present him in a short movie.
The problem is that when I uploaded this, youtube didn't allow longer then 10 minutes. Maybe it is on Dailymotion.
You can buy it on a DVD from Denmark, on the label storyville. It has more nice film by Ellington 1929 - 1943
ABrandsma 1 year ago
@ABrandsma Actually right after I watched this, I googled it and found the movie segmented into three parts on some video streaming sight, and watched it. the only reason I heard about it is because I am reading this book about jazz that mentioned it. That's also how I can accross Salt Peanuts.
DimensionsofChange 1 year ago
Really brill. Heard black and tan fantasy on Jazz record requests on Radion 3 and had to buy c.d.
westhoughtonian 1 year ago
This is absolutely wonderful!
GRAZIE!
renaccio 1 year ago
What type of mute is he using? I haven't seen one shaped like that.
gb6710 1 year ago
It is called a harmon mute. Inside of it is a pipe.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
Does anyone know who the woman dancer is at approx 4:50 to 5:40?
karinablacktie 1 year ago
Hello Karina,
Her name was Freddie Washington
Kind regards,
Bert Brandsma
ABrandsma 1 year ago
@ABrandsma She played Louise Beavers' daughter in the first version of Imitation of Life, trying to pass for white. Claudette Colbert was in it too. I think it came out around 1934.
amberlights1 1 year ago
@amberlights1 She was married to Lawrence Brown... who was Ellington's trombonist
busessuck1 1 year ago
I've long been interested in Ellington's underrated (but not by him) trumpeter Artie Whetsol. He had the most beautiful timbre and Duke thought highly of him both as a friend and as a musician. Artie died young of a brain tumour in 1940 but he left tantalising glimpses behind of his rare talent. He's known for playing "sweet" but as we can see from the movie clip he could stand in for Bubber Miley without fuss. Ellington described him as "one of the really good readers".
Medunkt in Australia
medunkt 1 year ago
That's right. During this time Ellington's trumpetters all had their showcases, Freddy Jenkins also could play, check Tiger Rag, but history only remembers the plunger solo's by Cootie and Bubber.
The same with alto sax, people only talk about Hodges, although Sentimental Mood and Sophisticated lady in fact were features for Otto Hardwicke.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
That's right. During this time Ellington's trumpetters all had their showcases, Freddy Jenkins also could play, check Tiger Rag, but history only remembers the plunger solo's by Cootie and Bubber.
The same with alto sax, people only talk about Hodges, although Sentimental Mood and Sophisticated lady in fact were features for Otto Hardwicke.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
quite a nice video.... thanks for sending it...
MarinerCayPilot 1 year ago
Ausgezeichnet!!!
What a fantastic little piece--the music is outstanding, and the imagery very stylistic; I loved the use of reflection in fliming the dancers (that flapper/hula girl surely was Pre-Code!).
My student-trumpeter-daughter plays this kind of stuff with a hardware store plunger for a mute. Maybe the movie people thought that was just too crude....
Thanks so very much for sharing this; it's a fascinating glimpse into early jazz!
Love always und vielen Dank,
Ukulele K-T
troyota1955 1 year ago
Originally the solo was also played with the plunger mute, but that trumpetter, Bubber Miley, who was a specialist with the plunger had left the Ellington band when this movie was recorded.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
One can't hear the age. That's great.
schnieef 1 year ago
It's a remarkable little movie, the story (For that you should watch the entire 18 minutes) is not so strong, but musically it really is a gem.
ABrandsma 1 year ago
Ah ok ! Merci de votre réponse.
meaume 1 year ago
Merci ! Quel plaisir !
Pourquoi supprimer des commentaires ? Tout est bon à lire !
meaume 1 year ago
Ce n'est pas moi que l'enlèvement
Il était la personne qui a écrit.
Merci!
Bert Brandsma
ABrandsma 1 year ago