Bringing alive the music of Duke Ellington
Transcriptions by Michael Kilpatrick
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Big Drag
Recorded only once in July 1953, the obscure Big Drag is a little known gem exemplifying Ellington's mastery of the blues form - his ability to create catchy but never cliched riffs and also to provide an individual setting and rhythmic feel. The mood of the piece is underpinned by a dry and minimal closed hi-hat rhythm and by rolling figures in the piano left hand. The work includes vibrant, dissonant saxophone ensemble passages somewhat in contrast to a more mundane passage of trumpet plunger figures. The climax, though, has yet more powerful dissonances in the full orchestra with a stratospheric trumpet solo, and seems to be over in no time at all - a short, sharp shock. I have always considered Big Drag to be a masterpiece of understatement and orchestration both deceptively dissonant yet simple.
The trumpet solo by Cat Anderson in the final chorus reaches an F (concert pitch) two octaves above the top line of the treble staff. The solo merely punctuates a fortissimo orchestral riff, and can be substituted with anything suitably loud - but not busy - in as high a register as the musician can carry. The 1st trombone part reaches up to a treble Bb.
Orchestration
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Listening Guide
The following recording dates for Big Drag have been issued on CD. Some editions may no longer be available - please ask your favourite retailer.
| CD Title | Label | Number | Recording date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete Capitol Recordings of D.E. | Mosaic | MD5-160 | 1953-07-01 |