...And His Mother Called Him Bill

Infobox Album |
Name = And His Mother Called Him Bill
Type =Album
Artist = Duke Ellington


Released = 1968
Recorded = August 28, 1967 -November 15, 1967
Genre = Jazz
Length = 61:18
Label = Bluebird/RCA
Producer = Steve Backer, Brad McCuen
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:jq3zefyk7gf8 link]
Last album = "North of the Border in Canada"
(1967)
This album = "And His Mother Called Him Bill"
(1967)
Next album = "Yale Concert"
(1968)

"...And His Mother Called Him Bill" is a 1967 album by Duke Ellington. He recorded the album in the wake of the death of his long-time music partner Billy Strayhorn. All of the songs featured were written by him. Some were Strayhorn's last works ("Blood Count" & "The Intimacy Of The Blues") while others were rarely, if ever recorded with Ellington's band. Because of this, his best known tune, "Take the "A" Train" wasn't recorded for this release.

The album was first released in 1967, but was reissued several times on compact disc; first in 1987 by RCA Records/Bluebird Records, then in 1993 by Flying Dutchmen Records, and finally by BMG in 2000. Two special reissues were also released, one in America and one in France, though both had the same track listing. They were released in 2002 by RCA and 2001 by BMG International, respectively.

Track listing

Original release

#"Boo-Dah" (Billy Strayhorn) - 3:32
#"U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)" (Strayhorn) - 3:13
#"Blood Count" (Strayhorn) - 4:19
#"Smada" (Duke Ellington, Strayhorn) - 3:20
#"Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 3:02
#"Rain Check" (Strayhorn) - 4:37
#"Midriff" (Strayhorn) - 4:31
#"My Little Brown Book" (Strayhorn) - 4:13
#"Lotus Blossom" (Strayhorn) - 3:57
#"Snibor" (Strayhorn) - 4:19
#"After All" (Strayhorn) - 3:48
#"All Day Long" (Strayhorn) - 2:57
#"Lotus Blossom" (Strayhorn) - 5:01
#"Day Dream" (Ellington, John La Touche, Strayhorn) - 4:20
#"The Intimacy of the Blues" (Strayhorn) - 3:02
#"Charpoy" (Strayhorn) - 3:07

American and French reissues

#"Snibor" (Strayhorn) - 4:16
#"Boo-Dah" (Strayhorn) - 3:28
#"Blood Count" (Strayhorn) - 4:18
#"U.M.M.G." (Strayhorn) - 3:14
#"Charpoy" (Strayhorn) - 3:07
#"After All" (Strayhorn) - 3:52
#"The Intimacy of the Blues" (Strayhorn) - 2:58
#"Rain Check" (Strayhorn) - 4:37
#"Day Dream " (Ellington, Latouche, Strayhorn) - 4:25
#"Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 3:02
#"All Day Long" (Strayhorn) - 2:58
#"Lotus Blossom" (Strayhorn) - 3:54
#"Acht O'Clock Rock" (Ellington) - 2:23
#"Rain Check [alternate take] " (Strayhorn) - 5:22
#"Smada [alternate take] " (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 3:21
#"Smada [alternate take] " (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 3:20
#"Midriff [alternate take] " (Strayhorn) - 4:35
#"My Little Brown Book [alternate take] " (Strayhorn) - 4:13
#"Lotus Blossom [alternate take] " (Strayhorn) - 4:56

Personnel

Band:
*Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams - trumpet
*Aaron Bell, Jeff Castleman - bass
*Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper - trombone
*Harry Carney - clarinet, saxophone (baritone)
*Duke Ellington - piano
*Paul Gonsalves - clarinet, saxophone (tenor)
*Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope - clarinet, saxophone (alto)
*Steve Little, Sam Woodyard - drums
*John Sanders - trombone (valve)
*Clark Terry - flugelhorn

Production:
*Steve Backer - executive producer
*Ed Begley - original recordings
*Ray Hall - remixing
*Daniel Maffia - illustrations
*Brad McCuen - producer
*Ed Michel - reissue producer
*Robert Palmer - liner notes
*Neal Pozner, J.J. Stelmach - art direction

Awards

* 1969 Grammy Award - Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance; Album - Duke Ellington