''The Ellington Suites'' is an album by the American pianist, composer, and bandleader

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

. It collects three suites recorded in 1959, 1971, and 1972, and was released on the Pablo label in 1976.A Duke Ellington Panorama
accessed April 12, 2010 The album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1976. Ellington and

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the ...

wrote "The Queen's Suite" for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

who was presented with a single pressing of the recording, which was not commercially issued during Ellington's lifetime.

Reception

The

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

review by

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Life and career Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Beginning in 1974, Yanow was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles and was the jazz e ...

states: "Although there are some good moments from Ellington's orchestras of 1959 and 1971–72, few of the themes (outside of 'The Single Petal of a Rose' from 'The Queen's Suite') are all that memorable. But even lesser Ellington is of great interest and veteran collectors may want to pick this up".Yanow, S.

AllMusic Review AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the data ...

accessed April 12, 2010

Track listing

All compositions by Duke Ellington except where noted. # "The Queen's Suite: Sunset and the Mocking Bird" (Duke Ellington,

) - 3:50 # "The Queen's Suite: Lightning Bugs and Frogs" (Strayhorn)"When Duke Flirted With The Queen," ''NPR'', "Fresh Air," September 9, 2013 https://www.npr.org/2013/09/09/220672107/when-the-duke-flirted-with-the-queen - 2:52 # "The Queen's Suite: Le Sucrier Velours" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 2:46 # "The Queen's Suite: Northern Lights" (Strayhorn) - 3:37 # "The Queen's Suite: The Single Petal of a Rose" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 4:08 # "The Queen's Suite: Apes and Peacocks" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 3:05 # "The Goutelas Suite: Fanfare" - 0:31 # "The Goutelas Suite: Goutelas" - 1:12 # "The Goutelas Suite: Get-With-Itness" - 1:55 # "The Goutelas Suite: Something" - 5:22 # "The Goutelas Suite: Having at It" - 3:35 # "The Goutelas Suite: Fanfare" - 0:34 # "The Uwis Suite: Uwis" - 7:51 # "The Uwis Suite: Klop" - 2:00 # "The Uwis Suite: Loco Madi" - 5:52 *Recorded February 25, 1959 (#2-4), April 1, 1959 (#1 and 6), April 14, 1959 (#5), April 27, 1971 (#7-12) & October 5, 1972 (#13-15)

Personnel

– piano *

Russell Procope Russell Keith Procope (August 11, 1908 – January 21, 1981) was an American clarinetist and alto saxophonist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Before Ellington Procope was born in New York City, United States, and grew up in ...

– alto saxophone, clarinet (tracks 1–4, 6, 13–15) *

Harry Carney Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, but primarily used the baritone saxophon ...

– baritone saxophone (tracks 1–4, 6–15) *

Cat Anderson William Alonzo "Cat" Anderson (September 12, 1916 – April 29, 1981) was an American jazz trumpeter known for his long period as a member of Duke Ellington's orchestra and for his wide range, especially his ability to play in the altissimo regis ...

Shorty Baker Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter. Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman ...

Ray Nance Ray Willis Nance (December 10, 1913 – January 28, 1976) was an American jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer. He is best remembered for his long association with Duke Ellington and his orchestra. Early years Nance was born in Chicago on D ...

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

– trumpet (tracks 1–4, 6) *

Quentin Jackson Quentin "Butter" JacksonFe ...

Britt Woodman Britt Woodman (June 4, 1920 – October 13, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist. Career Woodman was a childhood friend of Charles Mingus, but first worked with Phil Moore and Les Hite. After service in World War II he played with Boyd Rae ...

– trombone (tracks 1–4, 6) * John Sanders – valve trombone (tracks 1–4, 6) *

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in P ...

– clarinet, tenor saxophone (tracks 1–4, 6) *

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

– alto saxophone (tracks 1–4, 6) *

Paul Gonsalves Paul Gonsalves ( – ) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's " Diminuendo and Crescendo in Bl ...

– tenor saxophone (tracks (tracks 1–4, 6–12) *

Jimmy Woode James Bryant Woode (September 23, 1926 – April 23, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. He played and/or recorded in bands with Flip Phillips, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Nat Pierce, Sidney B ...

– double bass (tracks 1–6) * Jimmy Johnson – drums (tracks 1–4, 6) *

Mercer Ellington Mercer Kennedy Ellington (March 11, 1919 – February 8, 1996) was an American musician, composer, and arranger. His father was Duke Ellington, whose band Mercer led for 20 years after his father's death. Biography Early life and education Elli ...

Money Johnson Harold "Money" Johnson (February 23, 1918 – March 28, 1978) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Johnson was born in Tyler, Texas, on February 23, 1918. He first played trumpet at age 15. Primarily a trumpeter, he also recorded with the tr ...

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...

– trumpet (tracks 7–15) *

Eddie Preston Eddie Preston (May 9, 1925 – June 22, 2009) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was born in Dallas, Texas and died in Palm Coast, Florida. Preston began playing in big bands after World War II, and did stints with Lionel Hampton (1955–56), Ra ...

– trumpet (tracks 7–12) *

Johnny Coles John Coles (July 3, 1926 – December 21, 1997) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Coles was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on July 3, 1926. He grew up in Philadelphia and was self-taught on trumpet. Later life and career Coles spent his ...

– trumpet (tracks 13–15) *

Booty Wood Mitchell W. Wood, better known as Booty Wood (December 27, 1919 – June 10, 1987) was an American jazz trombonist. Career Wood played professionally on trombone from the late 1930s. He worked with Tiny Bradshaw and Lionel Hampton in the 1940s ...

– trombone (tracks 7–15) * Malcolm Taylor – trombone (tracks 7–12) * Chuck Connors – bass trombone (tracks 7–12) *

Norris Turney Norris Turney (September 8, 1921, Wilmington, Ohio, United States – January 17, 2001, Kettering, Ohio) was an American jazz flautist and saxophonist. Biography Turney began his career in the Midwest, playing in territory bands such as the Jete ...

– alto saxophone (tracks 7–15), flute (track 10) *

Harold Minerve Harold "Geezil" Minerve (January 3, 1922 – June 4, 1992) was a Cuban-born jazz alto saxophonist and flautist. Minerve was raised in Florida and began playing music at age 12. He played with Ida Cox early in his career, then worked as a freelance ...

– alto saxophone, clarinet (tracks 7–12) *

Harold Ashby Harold Ashby (March 27, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States – June 13, 2003, in New York City) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He worked with Duke Ellington's band, replacing Jimmy Hamilton in 1968. In 1959, he recorded backing ...

– tenor saxophone, clarinet (tracks 7–15) *

Joe Benjamin Joseph Rupert Benjamin (November 4, 1919 – January 26, 1974) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin played with many jazz musicians in a variety of idioms. Early in his career he played in the big bands of A ...

– bass (tracks 7–15) * Rufus Jones – drums (tracks 7–15) * Vince Prudente – trombone (tracks 13–15) * Russ Andrews – tenor saxophone (tracks 13–15) * Wulf Freedman – bass guitar (track 15)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellington Suites, The Pablo Records albums Duke Ellington albums 1976 albums Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album