Ellington Suites
Certainly one of the more obscure entries in the Ellington discography, this collection combines three distinct works, most notably 1959's masterpiece, "The Queen's Suite." Written as a personal thank you to Queen Elizabeth for her courtly reception of the Orchestra during the previous year, "The Queen's Suite" is, quite fittingly, a highly orchestrated six-part opus that tends toward beauty, grace, and elegance as opposed to heated improvisation, raw emotion, and blues inflections. From the exquisitely fluttering opener "Sunset and the Mockingbird" to the majestic and brassy "Northern Lights" to the sublimely delicate piano solo "The Single Petal of a Rose" to the fierce finale "Apes and Peacocks," the 20-minute suite is an absolutely stunning delight. This collection is rounded out by a pair of early-1970s recordings: the six-part "Goutelas Suite" is a bold and mysterious piece centered around the ruminative "Something" and hard-charging "Having at It." The three-part "Uwis Suite" is notable for "Klop," the only polka in the Duke's canon.--Marc Greilsamer