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"The Ellington Suites evokes the grand sonority of two of my favorites from Duke Ellington: Masterpieces by Ellington (1951) and Ellington Indigos (1958). The Queen's Suite (1959), recorded at RCA Studios in New York, is especiallly fine, akin to hearing a forest awaken with creatures welcoming the dawn, the players weaving the tapestry of Ellington's masterful arrangements. ... On The Queen's Suite, the instruments are exceptionally clear, from rich brass and reeds and resonant bass drum to ringing cymbal bells and Duke's piano, which darts throughout the music like a sprite." — "Revinylized!" Ken Micallef, Stereophile, October 2025

The three Ellington Suites in this release were recorded at different times along Ellington's legendary and prolific arc: "The Queen's Suite" in February and April 1959 (written for and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, but not widely released until 1970); "The Goutelas Suite" in April 1971; and "The Uwis Suite" in October 1972.

"Ellington would record his orchestra at his own expense, and then stockpile the recordings," says Nick Phillips, Vice President, Catalog and Jazz A&R at Concord and producer of the Original Jazz Classics Remasters series. "These were recordings that were later sold to Norman Granz, who had the good sense in the '70s to collect these then-unreleased suites on one album."

Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog master tape. Pressed at Quality Record Pressings for superior sound quality, and housed in a Stoughton Printing tip-on single pocket jacket. — (via Label)

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It should not be so hard to identify the most important jazz musician in the history of the genre. It is one of five artists: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. Much can be made for Ellington being the logical choice. Edward Kennedy Ellington (1899-1974) lived the entire history of jazz. He led arguably the most important big band of the swing era while also recording widely in smaller formats. But Ellington considered his music well beyond the definition of jazz. The extended compositions championed by Wynton Marsalis in the 1980s and '90s, germinated in the band book of Ellington.

The three suites included here were recorded between 1959 and 1972. The Queen's Suite was composed shortly after the coronation of Great Britain's Elizabeth II in 1955 and contains a solo piano (supported by string bass) composition, "Single Petal of a Rose." The Goutelas and Uwis Suites are 1970s products. The latter is supplemented with "The Kiss" recorded at the same time as the suite. Ellington still featured Paul Gonsalves and Johnny Hodges, whose voices loom large on this recording.

Ellington's Suites may have suffered from under exposure for their forward thinking approach of melding jazz and classical forms. But listening to these pieces, the thread of Ellington, that creative remnant that matured in the late 1920s is in fully flowered evidence on these relatively late career recordings. These pieces make it hard to dispute Ellington's supremacy in American jazz. — (via All About Jazz)

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180-gram vinyl
Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog tape
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
Housed in Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket

Vinyl Tracklist

The Queen's Suite
A1 Sunset And The Mocking Bird
A2 Lightning Bugs And Frogs
A3 Le Sucrier Velour
A4 Northern Lights
A5 The Single Petal Of A Rose
A6 Apes And Peacocks

The Goutelas Suite
B1 Fanfare
B2 Goutelas
B3 Get-with-Itness
B4 Something
B5 Having At It
B6 Fanfare

The Uwis Suite
B7 Uwis
B8 Klop
B9 Loco Madi

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Label: Pablo Records / Analogue Productions
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Gatefold, 180g
Reissued: 2025 / Originally Released: 1976
Genre: Jazz
Style: Big Band

File under: Audiophile Jazz
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