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REMINISCING IN TEMPO
Directed & Produced by: Gary Keys.
Edited by: Jesica Schoen & Judi Stroh.
Country of Origin: USA. 80 min. Not Rated.
Released by: Gary Keys Films.
With: The 1968 Duke Ellington Orchestra, Ruth Ellington Boatwright, Ira Gitler, Al Hibbler, Dan Morgenstern, Bobby Short, & Dr. Billy Taylor.

A rambling mélange of nostalgic interviews with Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington’s family, friends, and colleagues are interspersed with footage of his orchestra’s performance in Mexico City for the 1968 Olympics. The third in director Gary Keys’ series of tribute documentaries to Duke Ellington, it follows Mexican Suite and Memories of Duke, and incorporates some of the same footage.

In no particular chronological or thematic order are anecdotal remembrances from his flamboyant sister, Ruth Ellington Boatwright, the late cabaret singer Bobby Short, and performer Al Hibbler, among others, as interviewed at the annual birthday party for the composer/conductor, thrown by his sister. Excerpts of Dr. Billy Taylor’s musically illustrative talk at a 2004 meeting of the Duke Ellington Society are also included. Most interesting is testimony to Ellington’s importance as a talented pianist, inspiring mentor, and caring band leader.

Despite the splotchy, grainy nature of some of the 1968 footage, those excerpts are the highlight of this film, particularly the close-ups of the clearly photographed soloists, such as Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalvez and Johnny Hodges on sax, Jeff Castleman on bass, Rufus “Speedy” Jones on drums, Cootie Williams on trumpet, and Russell Procope on clarinet. They step forward and exuberantly shine for a few brief minutes, supporting the compliments of the talking-head interviews.

But even though jazz critics Ira Gitler and Dan Morgenstern also comment, there is almost no elucidation of Ellington’s oeuvre, other than the frequent repetition of the word “great.” Photographs of Duke with a lot of famous non-musical VIPs, such as royalty and presidents, are amongst the barely relevant historical photographs of the African-American experience, from Jim Crow through the civil rights movement (justified by a passing reference to Ellington’s grandfather having been born a slave and the significance of his trademark elegant attire). PBS’s American Experience series broadcast an almost identically titled episode 15 years ago that provided more illuminating contextual biographical and historical information on Ellington.

It is annoying that all the admiring talk interferes with hearing Ellington’s music on the soundtrack. Though some of his greatest hits, from “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” to “Sophisticated Lady,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Mood Indigo,” etc., are heard in live performance, almost none are played in their entirety. However, because “The Mexican Suite,” with Ellington’s gorgeous piano solo, is not available on compact disc, Keys’ films are the only way aficionados can see and hear the piece performed by Ellington himself. Nora Lee Mandel
December 15, 2006