During 1945 and 1946,
Duke Ellington recorded a number of broadcast transcriptions for use by the
U.S. Treasury Department to promote the sale of war bonds. This eighth volume, issued by
Storyville, is yet another two-disc set that compiles three different broadcasts. While the sound quality is decent for the soloists and only so-so for the whole band, the occasional rarity like
"Let the Zoomers Drool" or
"Ultra Violet," as well as superb renditions of favorites like
"C Jam Blues," "Ko-Ko," and
"Main Stem" will be of interest to
Ellington collectors. A surprise inclusion is
Ellington's nearly 12-minute tone poem from 1935,
"Reminiscing in Tempo," though it was no favorite of star soloists like
Johnny Hodges, who preferred opportunities to blow. But this volume falls a little bit short in value compared to earlier sets in the series, because of inconsistent sound quality and overall programs that are not as interesting as a typical
Ellington concert, though at least the long medleys of hits always featured in his later years are not present. ~ Ken Dryden
![Little Girl Blue [2021 Stereo Remaster]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/4050538671476_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Little Girl Blue [2021 Stereo Remaster]")
