Duke Ellington Masterpieces By Ellington CD

Recorded in 1950 at the dawn of the long-playing record era, three of these tracks--the vintage early-1930s compositions "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady," and "Solitude"--had only been previously been heard in their entirety in concert: before this release, record technology simply couldn't accommodate the full 10-minute-plus arrangements. The first four pieces, which made up the original album, were recorded just before an extensive lineup reshuffle in 1951, reflected in the personnel changes on the last three bonus tracks.

Amazingly, it took Columbia Records until the very end of 1950, two years into the LP era and the transition from disc to magnetic tape recording, to get Duke Ellington & His Orchestra into the studio to cut a long-playing record. 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 with extended (11-plus minute) "uncut concert arrangements" of "Mood Indigo," "Sophisticated Lady," and "Solitude," augmented with one splendid newer work, "The Tattooed Bride." And it's taken 15 years into the CD boom before Masterpieces by Ellington has been given the treatment that it deserves. Sony Music of Japan reissued this classic recording in 1998, remastered using the company's 20-bit-based Super Bit Mapping digital system, and results are astonishing -- the band sounds like it's in the same room with the listener, and that goes double for the piano and the soloists (including singer Yvonne Lanauze) on "Mood Indigo." Even in this august company, "The Tattooed Bride" is a swinging virtuoso piece that, as everyone present must have known, couldn't possibly have been captured in this manner in any era before this session -- this was also one of the last sessions to feature the classic Ellington lineup with Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, and Sonny Greer before their exodus altered the band's sound, and so it's a doubly precious piece (as is the whole album), among the last written specifically for this lineup. And it now all sounds at least ten years newer than its actual date of recording. [The U.S. debut of this set in 2004 features the original tracks dynamically and wonderfully remastered with three bonus tracks: "Vagabonds," by Ellington and trombonist Juan Tizol, and a pair with Billy Strayhorn, "Smada" and "Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note."] ~ Bruce Eder

Recorded at Columbia's 30th St. Studio, New York, New York on December 19, 1950 & December 11 & August 7, 1951. Originally released on Columbia (4418).

Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Yvonne Lanauze (vocals); Russell Procope (clarinet, alto saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Willie Smith (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Nelson Williams , Clark Terry, Harold Baker, Andrew "Fats" Ford, Ray Nance, William Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Francis Williams (trumpet); Mercer Ellington (French horn); Lawrence D. Brown, Juan Tizol, Quentin Jackson, Tyree Glenn, Britt Woodman (trombone); Billy Strayhorn (piano); Louie Bellson, Sonny Greer (drums).

Liner Note Author: Patricia Willard.

Recording information: Columbia's 30th Street Studio (12/19/1950-08/07/1951).

Photographer: Don Hunstein.

Personnel: Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (arranger, piano); Yvonne Lanuaze (vocals); Willie Smith (soprano & alto saxophones); Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Jimmy Hamilton (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Cat Anderson, Harold "Shorty" Baker, Nelson Williams, Andres Merenghito, Ray Nance, Clark Terry (trumpet); Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson, Tyree Glenn, Jaun Tizol (trombone); Wendell Marshall (bass); Sonny Greer, Louis Bellson (drums).

Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[F]abulous..."