Ben Webster. Ellington profited, too,nfrom the collaboration of a young mannfrom Pittsburgh, Billy Strayhorn, whonhad come to him as a lyricist but whonrapidly developed into a first-class composernand arranger. The fresh talent andna new spirit of enthusiasm resulted in anstring of masterpieces, among thzmJacknthe Bear, Ko-Ko, Concerto for Cootie,nCotton Tail, Never No Lament, Bojangles,nHarlem Air Shaft and WarmnValley.nAn unusual unanimity exists innAmerican critical circles about the importancenof the 1938-41 Ellington period.nThe boxed set, (Smithsonian 2018)nis entitled Explosion of Genius. There isnunquestionably some justification fornthis, but its emphasis is somehow detrimentalnto the balance of Ellington’snoeuvre. From first to last, he continued toncome up with captivating and originalnmusic. There were brief fallow seasonsnand occasional failures, but even in thenlast years, when the band’s personnel wasnravaged by age and death, when itsngreatest star, alto saxophonist JohnnynHodges, and Billy Strayhorn were bothngone forever, Ellington continued toncreate orchestral textures unique in jazz.nExplosions of genius erupted throughoutnthe entire span of his nearly fifty years atnthe top.nWhat might be called his “primitive”nperiod extended from 1924 to 1930.nDuring this time the “jungle” sound wasnsuccessfully delineated by Bubber Mileynand Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton, who usedna mbber plunger on trumpet and trombonenrespectively to obtain extraordinaryneffects. They established the tradition ofnso-called wah-wah brass that Ellingtonnmaintained until his death. At the samentime, some novel and arresting instrumentalnroutines were fashioned, amongnthem such durable favorites as East St.nLouis Toodle-oo, Black and Tan Fantasy,nCreole Love Call and The Mooche. Ellingtonnlearned as he progressed and hisnband steadily improved as an ensemble.nThe output up to 1930 certainly meritsnan album to itself in the Smithsoniann48inChronicles of Culturenseries, and the 1930-to-1938 period requiresnat least two more.nBy August 1930, the band was drawingnwell ahead of its competition. BesidesnCootie Williams, who had replacednBubber Miley, Ellington had exceptionalnmusicians in each section: Joe Nanton,nvalve trombonist Juan Tizol, JohnnynHodges, clarinetist Barney Bigard, baritonensaxophonist Harry Carney, bassistnWellman Braud, drummer SonnynGreer. During the next eight years, somenof their most memorable music was produced:nOld Man Blues, Ring Dem Bells,nRockin’ in Rhythm, Echoes of thenjungle. Bugle Call Rag, It Don’t Mean anThing, The Sheik, Slippery Horn, DuckynWucky, Lightnin’, Bundle of Blues,nHarlem Speaks, In the Shade of the OldnApple Tree, Stompy Jones, Saddest Tale,nShowboat Shuffle, Merry-Go-Round,nDaybreak Express and Echoes of Harlem,nnot to mention “hits” like Moodlndigo,nSolitude and Sophisticated Lady. TherenIn the Mailnwere also Ellington’s first “extended”nworks—Creole Rhapsody and Reminiscingnin Tempo. Diminuendo and Crescendonin Blue, which was written and recordednin 1937, provoked an emotionalnresponse at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festivalnand accounted for both Ellington’snbest-selling album and his portrait onnthe cover of Time.nFor a short 1935 film, Ellington usednabbreviated versions of some of thesengems from the 1930’s, which have beennrecreated at full length, together withnother less familiar compositions, by annorchestra conducted by Gunther Schullernfor a Smithsonian set that bears thenfilm’s title. Symphony in Black (N-024).nThe work has been faithfully renderednand much care was taken to simulate thenoriginal soloists. This falls within thenrealm of imitation, of course, but the Ellingtonneffect cannot be obtained if itsntraditional voices are disregarded. BobnWilber, Art Baron and Jimmy KneppernThe Language of Canaan and the GramnMr of feminism by Vetnard Ellet; Wm. B. EetdmansnPublishing Co.; Grand Bapids, Michigan. This brief examination of language in the Biblendefends the use of words like “man” against “person” and other such revisions.nThe Dominion Covenant: Genesis by Gary North; Institute for Christian Economics; TylernTexas. A detailed examination of how the book of Genesis lays the foundations of economics.nSolzhenitsyn, Tvardovsky, and Navy Mir by Vladimir Lakshin; The MIT Press; Cambridge,nMassachusetts. Lakshin defends himself and Tvardovsky against Solzhenitsyn’s portayal of themnin The Oak and the Calf.nKarlBarth-RudolfBultmann Letters, 1922 to 1966 translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley; Wm. B.nEerdmans Publishing Co.; Grand Rapids, Michigan. An exchange of friendship and theologicalnviews is shown in 44 years of correspondence.nLonely Walk: Wei»/eo/5e»«?or31«nl/f«/^/