André Previn’s standing in the world of classical music has had its ups and downs (though certainly more of the former than the latter), but as a jazz pianist he has always been at the top of his profession. One of the few classically trained artists who can “cross over” stylistically with complete success, his album of Ellington classics builds on his and bassist David Finck’s impressive achievement in an earlier DG release devoted to Gershwin favorites. The selection of tunes nicely explores Ellington’s range as a composer, from the up-tempo sassiness of “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and the Gospel-influenced “Come Sunday”, to the cool, smooth “In a Mellow Tone”. Previn’s improvisations and embellishments respect the original melodies while at the same time revealing their different facets and potential for musical development. Ellington was, as Previn himself notes, a genuine composer, not just a bandleader or songwriter (the words to his songs usually came after he wrote the tunes themselves), and it’s to Previn and Finck’s credit that you come away from this program with a renewed sense of just how marvelous a musician Ellington really was. And you can’t really ask for more than that. [10/16/2000]
