Duke Ellington

5 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

ANALOGUE 180 GRAM VINYL

AUDIOPHILE RE-MASTERED

Columbia Records waited until the end of 1950 before recording directly to tape, enabling pieces longer that the biblical three minutes to be recorded. All of this, in spite of the fact that long playing records debuted two years previously. This occasion was the first time in Ellington’s 25-year recording history that the maestro was able to slough off the 78-rpm format and record what he and his band played in concert. The result was Masterpieces By Ellington. The present version of this release unites the original four pieces with three additional pieces, all having in common Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, and Sonny Greer, each who was to depart shortly after this recording.

PERSONNEL:

• DUKE ELLINGTON, piano
• BILLY STRAYHORN, piano
• MERCER ELLINGTON, flugelhorn
• CAT ANDERSON, ANDREW FORD, HAROLD BAKER, NELSON WILLIAMS, RAY NANCE, trumpet
• QUENTIN JACKSON,TYREE GLENN, LAWRENCE BROWN, trombones
• JOHNNY HODGES, alto sax
• PAUL GONSALVES, tenor sax
• JIMMY HAMILTON, clarinet
• RUSSELL PROCOPE, calrinet & alto sax
• WENDELL MARSHALL, bass
• SONNY GREER, drums
• YVONNE, vocla

Recorded December 19th 1950.

SIDE A:

• 01. Mood Indigo
• 02. Sophisticated Lady

SIDE B:

• 01. The Tattooed Bride
• 02. Solitude