Sound Bites: 'Blue Pepper' by Duke Ellington

In this new series of blog posts Andrew explores what he loves about some of his favourite music.

Where did you hear it?

I heard it first, a few weeks ago on the radio show Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour (always a reliable source of great music). It was one of the first tracks he played. 

What is it?

It’s a piece of jazz from Ellington’s concept album Far East Suite, recorded in 1966 and released in 1967.

Why do you like it?

I remember Michael Longley, in interviews, referring to the music of Duke Ellington, particularly ‘It don’t mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing’, and I’m familiar with that track. However, ‘Blue Pepper’ was new to me, but I was bowled over by it immediately. The big, bold, swaggering opening is countered by the screeching saxes. We can also hear the subtle influence of the Eastern music he would have heard on the recent tour he’d just completed that inspired most of this album. So much in art, it’s occurring to me, seems to be about balance, and the achievement of this track is how Ellington manages to temper the big horns of the main hook, with quieter, jazzier moments with the saxophone, and blend conventions of Western jazz with Eastern music motifs. It’s a track full of colour, attitude and pizazz. It’d be a perfect soundtrack to a hardboiled detective drama. And did I mention it’s a lot of fun?