How would a novice listener be able to tell the difference between Duke Ellingto!
Question: Duke Ellington was much taller...
Oh, you meant their music? ;-)
The best way of course, is to listen to recordings of both bands and try to get a feel for their sound.
In very general terms, Duke's music was more compositional and erudite, while Basie's was grittier and swung hard.
Hope that helps
peace
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Answers: Duke Ellington was much taller...
Oh, you meant their music? ;-)
The best way of course, is to listen to recordings of both bands and try to get a feel for their sound.
In very general terms, Duke's music was more compositional and erudite, while Basie's was grittier and swung hard.
Hope that helps
peace
.
Oh Yeah is right, although Ellington can certainly swing.
I'll add this: Ellington's music tends to be all of one piece--more like a symphony or other classical piece. A theme and variations, if you will, usually returning to the basic idea at the conclusion. Sounds more "European."
Basie's is based on "riffs:" a few bars each of different musical ideas strung together with no big overall picture except key, rhythm, etc.
Also, to me, the recordings of Basie's band tend to be "bigger" and more realistic. No recording really captures what Ellington's orchestra sounded like.
Here's how I can tell - listen to the reeds section. Nobody plays like Ellington's Johnny Hodges, with his swoops and glides into lead notes and soloing style. I also believe that Ellington uses more clarinet solos than Basie does. Basie has a more prominent Baritone Sax sound in the sax section. Harry Carney usually can be heard right alongside Hodges is volume and dynamics. Basie is also known to incorporate flute and flute solos in his pieces - Ellington rarely uses flute in any prominence.
I agree with the answerer above, in that Basie depends a lot more on a 'riff' or 'groove' in his pieces. Duke Ellington is also much more reserved and economic in his solos and his playing is more influenced by the 'stride' style of playing. Basie uses more flourishes and commonly ends his pieces with that 3 eighth-note (with rests between) riff before the full-band finale chord. If ever I would be confused, the ending of the piece always gives it up!