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TOP quality reissue by Pure Pleasure in Mono – essential listening!

Masterpieces By Ellington shines from an astonishingly brief period of history that gave the recording industry two of its greatest achievements — the introduction of magnetic tape recording and the 33 1/3 LP, or long-playing record.

There is a choice of which version of this album to invest in, given that there at now two 33 and one 45rpm reissues available. I’ll put this one by Pure Pleasure right at the top of the list. I simply can’t imagine this LP sounding better. No matter which you choose, this is an album you really need to have in your library. Getting the chance to hear one of Ellington’s greatest bands give full-length versions of these four tunes is using your stereo for its intended purpose -- stepping back in time and reliving an era when this was the music to hear. This Pure Pleasure LP is flat, dead silent, and wonderfully musical. Oh, and one last tidbit to really ice the cake: Pure Pleasure's deluxe gatefold sleeve is of superior quality and includes pictures of Ellington at work in the center.

To restate: top-quality sound, top-quality packaging, and perhaps the greatest big band in jazz history to whisk you back to late 1950 and delight you with exquisite music. What more can one ask for from a reissue? – The Audio Beat