Masterpieces by Ellington
| Masterpieces by Ellington | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Duke Ellington | ||||
| Released | 1951 | |||
| Recorded |
December 18, 1950 Bonus tracks August 7 & December 11, 1951 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Duke Ellington chronology | ||||
| ||||
Masterpieces by Ellington is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia label in 1950 as Ellington's first LP album.[1] The album was one of the earliest 12 inch LP's to take advantage of the extended time available and consisted of 4 tracks.
Release history
The original 1951 release under the "Columbia Masterworks" banner featured a red cover which was replaced by the more modern blue cover in 1956.[2] The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with additional bonus tracks recorded at later sessions.
Reception
Jazz critic Gary Giddins called the album "One of the first genuinely innovative 12-inch LPs".[3] He noted that "Ellington eschewed the suite format in favor of continuous long-form works that reflected a liberation made possible by the LP. The vividly languorous 15-minute "Mood Indigo" (on Masterpieces) exemplifies Ellington's new found freedom".[4]
The Allmusic review by Bruce Eder awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "For the first time in his recording career, Ellington was able to forego the three-minutes-and-change restrictions in running time of the 78-rpm disc — he and the band rose to the occasion".[5]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [5] |
Track listing
:All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated
- "Mood Indigo" (Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills) - 15:27
- "Sophisticated Lady" (Ellington, Mills, Mitchell Parish) - 11:29
- "The Tattooed Bride" - 11:43
- "Solitude" (Ellington, Mills, Eddie DeLange) - 8:26
- "Vagabonds" (Ellington, Juan Tizol, Johnny Burke) - 3:11 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Smada" (Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 2:48 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note" (Ellington, Strayhorn) - 2:27 Bonus track on CD reissue
- Recorded in New York on December 18, 1950 (tracks 1-4) and August 7 (tracks 6 & 7), & December 11 (track 5), 1951.
Personnel
- Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano
- Cat Anderson (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7), Shorty Baker, Mercer Ellington (tracks 1-4), Fats Ford (tracks 1-4), Ray Nance, Nelson Williams - trumpet
- Lawrence Brown (tracks 1-4), Tyree Glenn (tracks 1-4), Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman (tracks 5-7) - trombone
- Jimmy Hamilton - clarinet, tenor saxophone
- Johnny Hodges (tracks 1-4), Willie Smith (tracks 5-7) - alto saxophone
- Russell Procope - alto saxophone, clarinet
- Paul Gonsalves - tenor saxophone
- Harry Carney - baritone saxophone
- Wendell Marshall - bass
- Sonny Greer (tracks 1-4), Louis Bellson (tracks 5-7) - drums
- Yvonne Lanauze - vocals[6]
References
- ↑ A Duke Ellington Panorama accessed May 24, 2010
- ↑ Neely, T., Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide, 2004, p. 165
- ↑ Giddins, G., Natural Selection: Gary Giddins on Comedy, Film, Music, And Books, 2006, p.229
- ↑ Giddins, G. Ellington's Legacy, JazzTimes, March 2004
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Eder, B. Allmusic Review accessed May 24, 2010
- ↑ Liner notes - Columbia LP ML-4418, 1951