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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 The Ellington Suites. 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, and his lively and likable “Uwis Suite.”
Note: A remastered version of this collection was released in 2013.
By Jeff Burger 