Ellington Uptown
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Bonus tracks December 24, 1947
| Ellington Uptown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1953[1] | |||
| Recorded | December 7 & 11, 1951, February 29, June 30 & July 1, 1952 Bonus tracks December 24, 1947 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 43:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Duke Ellington chronology | ||||
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| Alternative Cover | ||||
Ellington Uptown (also released as Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown) is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded for the Columbia label in 1951 and 1952.[2] The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with additional tracks recorded in 1947 and originally released as the Liberian Suite EP.
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Although some historians have characterized the early '50s as Duke Ellington's 'off period' (due to the defection of alto star Johnny Hodges), in reality, his 1951–1952 orchestra could hold its own against his best. This set has many classic moments... One of the great Duke Ellington sets."[3]
Tom Hull, writing in his July 2004 "Jazz Consumer Guide" for The Village Voice, commented briefly on the release: "Hodges-less, coming out of his most pretentious composerly period, scratching and kicking to hang on."[4]
The extended piece "A Tone Parallel to Harlem" (also known as "The Harlem Suite" or just "Harlem") has often been singled out as one of Ellington's great achievements. Ellington biographer John Edward Hasse writes, "This kaleidoscopic, marvelously descriptive tour of Harlem ... passes by folks working and shopping, fighting for equal rights, festively parading, mourning at a church funeral, and includes other honest, affirmative glimpses of everyday life. ... Harlem, with its three well-integrated themes, is regarded by a number of observers (including, reportedly, the composer himself) as Ellington's best extended work, and he chose to perform it fairly frequently at concerts. It has been called 'every bit as much a miniature masterpiece as is Rhapsody in Blue'."[5] Jazz critic and historian Ted Gioia notes that the work is among "Ellington's more visionary projects" and is "a masterpiece by almost any measure."[6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [8] |
