Duke Ellington: The Ellington Suites

As the late Ralph Gleason once noted, “Any of the Duke Ellington albums is worth owning without exception and there are dozens of them.” You probably can’t afford them all, but if you’re a fan, I don’t see how you can afford to miss this one. The main attraction is the six-part “Queen Suite,” an appropriately majestic and richly woven opus by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Also here are Ellington’s “Goutelas Suite,” which includes beautiful pastoral sections and a delightful brass finale, plus his lively and likable “Uwis Suite.”