The Duke Plays Ellington
1953 studio album by Duke Ellington
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The Duke Plays Ellington is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington featuring trio sessions recorded for the Capitol label in 1953.[1] The album was rereleased with additional tracks on CD as Piano Reflections in 1989
| The Duke Plays Ellington | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1953 | |||
| Recorded | April 13 & 14, and December 3, 1953 | |||
| Venue | Capitol, 5515 Melrose Ave, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Duke Ellington chronology | ||||
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| Piano Reflections Cover | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [3] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Ellington sounds modern (especially rhythmically and in his chord voicings) and shows that he could have made a viable career out of just being a pianist."[2] Pianist Pat Thomas commented: "when people are talking about what's the latest thing, I mean, he's just playing Duke. But he's so far ahead that he can blend in with whatever's going on."[4]
Track listing
:All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated
- "Who Knows?" – 2:37
- "Retrospection" – 3:58
- "B Sharp Blues" – 2:47
- "Passion Flower" (Billy Strayhorn) – 3:05
- "Dancers in Love" – 1:56
- "Reflections in D" – 3:35
- "Melancholia" – 3:20
- "Prelude to a Kiss" (Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills) – 3:04
- "In a Sentimental Mood" (Ellington, Mills, Manny Kurtz) – 2:30
- "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" (Mercer Ellington) – 2:56
- "All Too Soon" (Ellington, Carl Sigman) – 3:08
- "Janet" – 2:15
- "Kinda Dukish" – 2:32 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Montevideo" – 2:33 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "December Blue" – 2:40 Bonus track on CD reissue
- Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, on April 13 (tracks 1–8), April 14 (tracks 9–12), and December 3 (tracks 13–15), 1953.
Personnel
- Duke Ellington – piano
- Wendell Marshall – bass
- Butch Ballard – drums (tracks 1–12)
- Dave Black (drummer) – drums (tracks 13–15)
- Ralph Collier – congas (track 14)