Duke Ellington's Caravan

One of my favorite jazz standards has always been Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Composed in the 1930s by a light-skinned Puerto Rican trombonist in Duke's band, Juan Tizol, "Caravan" is considered one of the earliest Latin jazz compositions. The composition is often played with Afro-Cuban rhythms, and the chromatic melody sounds reminiscent of Middle Eastern music, hence the title. Interestingly, Duke Ellington was not the first to record the song, but members of his band recorded it in a smaller group under the leadership of Barney Bigard, a white clarinetist who was part of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Here is the earliest recording of "Caravan," recorded in 1936, I believe. Notice the dark, ominous horns which hint at exotica and Middle Eastern music. Indeed, it's not too surprising that a musician of Puerto Rican origin would compose a song that sounds like North African music, since Puerto Ricans are part Spanish and Spanish music has been profoundly influenced by North African and Arab music (listen to flamenco, saetas, and other forms of Spanish music from Andalusia). This early version doesn't really feature any exotic or Latin drumming, but the clarinet soars and doesn't sound too different from Duke Ellington's jungle music phase in the 1920s.

A future Duke Ellington recording is also interesting for switching up the drums and almost sounding like ska music with that insistent beat that won't quit. The soloists are in top shape, however, and keep things interesting while exploring the North African/Arabian roots of jazz music. Duke himself plays a clunky piano that doesn't interfere with the solos. The highlight? The violin solo, which took me by surprise. 

Thelonious Monk recorded the song as well for his album of Duke Ellington covers on the label, Riverside. Riverside wanted Monk to record well-known songs instead of his own compositions so as to increase sales. It's a fascinating cover since it's a trio recording (piano, bass, drums) and the drummer is going Latin, before returning to the straight swing rhythm of most American jazz. I've always been fascinated at how jazz compositions can transition so easily between swung and Afro-Cuban or Latin rhythms, and this song really succeeds at making that switch smooth.

The American pop and jazz vocal quartet, the Mills Brothers, also recorded their own interesting vocal version of "Caravan." The vocalists are imitating the sound of instruments and improvising over the melody simulataneously, which isn't an easy feat. Far from my favorite rendition of this classic, yet still interesting enough to share with others.

Duke Ellington recorded the song again in a trio setting with Max Roach and Charles Mingus for his Money Jungle LP. This is one of my favorite renditions of the tune for multiple reasons: 1. Max Roach's creative Latin-infused drumming 2. Duke Ellington's piano solo 3. and the presence of Charles Mingus on bass. Duke really goes crazy during his solo, yet never fails to keep the beat. Max Roach swings hard while adding more polyrhythms, and Mingus on bass is always a delight. This version of the tune almost sounds 'skeletal' without horns to create a bigger sound, but it's always fun to hear. Roach sounds melodic like usual.

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers also recorded an interesting, bop version of the tune at a frenetic tempo. As one would expect with Blakey, we are given an extended drum solo in which Blakey demonstrates his versatility as a drummer (incorporating swing, Latin, and African rhythms). It's always fun to hear Blakey's solos, although too many in one sitting usually leads to the skip button...

 

Ella Fitzgerald also recorded the song, with lyrics composed by Irving Mills. Not nearly as interesting as the instrumentals, it's still worth hearing because Ella has a fantastic voice that could match the range of any other instrument. 

"Caravan" was sampled by Busta Rhymes and Redman on "Da Goodness." It's always great to hear a jazz standard come alive through hip-hop, although it isn't used well here. Still, it's worth hearing just to see how hip-hop producers are using the music of the past.