Jazz

Duke Ellington interviewed in 1964. Typescript of Les Tomkins 'Crescendo' interview 'That's where the tailoring comes in' with 'The Duke presents a bouquet to our audiences' and 'Duke Ellington's unpublished comments on Crescendo'.

réf. 22406 — The interview appeared in the April 1964 number of 'Crescendo' magazine London. The interview – retitled 'Duke looks back – and forward in an interview with Les Tompkins' – features on pp.6-7 of the April 1964 number of 'Crescendo'. Sammy Davis Jr features on the cover with the announcement 'NOT A WORD ABOUT THE BEATLES!' Three items the typescript of the interview and two accompanying pieces one not used. All three in good condition lightly aged. ONE: Carbon typescript titled 'That's where the tailoring comes in Duke Ellington talks to Les Tomkins'. 6pp 4to. On six leaves stapled together at a corner. Of particular interest in this typescript is the following passage – suppressed in the published version – in which Ellington names Jimmy Forrest as one of his imitators: 'we've had people like Jimmy Forrest – who took a couple of pages out of our book wrote a number and called it something else. It became the biggest thing since “St. Louis Blues”. And that's “Night Train” - you know from “Happy Go Lucky Local”'. In a couple of instances the typescript appears closer to Ellington's voice than the published version. It features the Americanism 'specialty' rather than the published 'speciality'; and has the following passage which was recast for publication: '… and as the refreshments would take over and he would roll of the piano stool – why they would call in the soda jerker i.e. Ellington to come and play the piano.' The published version reads: 'As the refreshments took over and he rolled off the piano stool they'd call in the soda jerker to play the piano.' Other changes are relatively minor: 'Some people don't like to have to – what is it … to follow something they are not familiar with' printed as 'Some people don't like to have to apply themselves. … to follow something unfamiliar'; 'Then you don't have to worry about how many drinks you take' printed as 'Then they don't have to worry about how many drinks they take'; 'the English audience has' printed as 'the British audiences have'; 'is a thing which is rare' printed as 'is rare'. In the typescript the preamble to the article ends rather lamely 'However here are some of his interesting utterances about:' this is replaced in the printed version with 'But the printed words alone have their own value. – L.T.' In addition the published version exhibits a few minor editorial changes such as the correction of 'fit' to 'fitted' and 'less notes' to 'fewer notes'. The typescript has the following headings: 'His jazz beginnings' 'When he was a fixer' 'The men in the band' 'Billy Strayhorn' 'Their writing approach' 'Ellington imitators' 'His view of the present band' and 'His view of the future'. These are replaced in the published version by 'Smart' 'So loud!' 'Cutting' 'Renaissance' and 'Protection'. TWO: Carbon typescript headed: 'The Duke presents a bouquet to our audiences'. 1p 4to. Published in a box at bottom left of first page of interview under the title 'An Ellington bouquet'. THREE: Carbon typescript of one-sentence quotation from Ellington under title 'Duke Ellington's comments on Crescendo'. 1p 4to. Reads: 'I think it's wonderful reading. And it's very exciting thrilling – interesting mainly – and enjoyable.' This endorsement does not appear to have been used by the magazine. The material comes from an archive of typescripts by Tomkins of his Crescendo contributions including interviews with Louis Armstrong Sonny Rollins Bud Freeman Stan Tracey Erroll Garner Stan Kenton Quincy Jones Joe Turner Tubby Hayes Stan Getz. The interview appeared in the April 1964 number of 'Crescendo' magazine [London]. unknown