Duke Ellington in Hollywood (2004)

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Got That Swing

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Duke Ellington in Hollywood on DVD.

Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was not only a legendary bandleader and a crackerjack jazz musician; he was also a brilliant composer who defined much of the 20th century's music.

This terrific DVD complies an hour's worth of footage of Ellington and his orchestra, culled from various shorts and soundies as well as Leo McCarey's feature film Belle of the Nineties (1934). Most of it is just plain fun, such as the early Black and Tan (1929), which features such tunes as "Cotton Club Stomp" and "Flaming Youth," or "An RKO Jamboree No. 7" (1943), including "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)."

But the disc also includes some of Ellington's more serious, groundbreaking work in Symphony in Black, chronicling the hardships of African Americans through songs like "The Laborers" and "A Hymn of Sorrow." Billie Holiday appears in this section, giving a heartbreaking performance.

One brief section has Ellington paying tribute to Lena Horne and "Stormy Weather."

The disc wraps up with three stunning Mae West numbers from Belle of the Nineties, including West's bluesy, ballsy renditions of "When a Saint Louis Woman Goes Down to New Orleans," "My Old Flame" and "Memphis Blues."

DVD Details: Unlike MVD's recent Louis Jordan disc, the sound quality on the Duke Ellington disc is very good and the picture quality is as good as can be expected, given the age and rarity of the source material. Only Belle of the Nineties could perhaps be improved upon.

Starring: Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Mae West
Directed by: Various
MPAA Rating: NR
Date: August 20, 2004