The Duke Plays Ellington
| 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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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
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating | 
| AllMusic | |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars and 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)
 
References
- ^ "Ellington Sessions (53)". A Duke Ellington Panorama. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
 - ^ a b Yanow, S. AllMusic Review accessed May 21, 2010
 - ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 434. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
 - ^ Wright, Seymour (January–February 2025). "Invisible Jukebox: Pat Thomas". The Wire. No. 491/492. p. 25.
 

