Rhythmoods Medley Duke Ellington / Arr. Paul Yoder

'There are two types of music,' Ellington famously said, 'good music, and the other kind.' Though Ellington himself didn't like to assign categories to his creations, his compositions elevated jazz to the same stage as other more traditional music genres. 'Rhythmoods' is a band arrangement of three such tunes: 'Sophisticated Lady' (1933), 'Mood Indigo' (1931), and 'Black and Tan Fantasy' (1927).
Ellington's original all-instrumental 'Sophisticated Lady' was inspired not by a mistress, but by his three grade school teachers. 'They taught all winter and toured Europe in the summer. To me that spelled sophistication.'
'Mood Indigo' was the first piece Ellington ever wrote specifically for electronic transmission. In its original key, it created an unpleasant resonance with the microphone, so Ellington transposed the piece so that the resonance of the microphone -- what Ellington himself called the 'mike-tone' -- gave the audio-illusion of a fourth instrument and provided 'Mood Indigo' with its unified sound.
'Black and Tan Fantasy' is a triumph of the collaboration between Ellington and trumpet player Bubber Miley. Don't let your mind fool your ears - Chopin's 'Funeral March' does emerge from Miley's bluesy spirituals.