New Orleans Suite

Duke Ellington | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000008U0A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,288 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet!, August 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: New Orleans Suite (Audio CD)

Another of Duke's "suites" which consists of a series of stand-alone tunes with a connecting theme, this time a tribute to the music of New Orleans. Don't expect a bunch of Dixieland knockoffs. As usual, the result is pure and original Ellington. Every song is a highlight, but I'll point out two. Portrait of Wellman Braud, a blues in 12/8 with the melody in the bass, could just as appropriately be named Portrait of Charles Mingus and shows one instance when Duke might have been inspired by Mingus (instead of the other way around). Blues for New Orleans features Johnny Hodges in his last recorded blues, trading choruses with organist Wild Bill Davis. Duke recalls that he was sitting at home, wondering how he could convince Hodges to dust off his soprano for the upcoming recording of Portrait of Sidney Bechet, when he got the phone call that the Hodges had died.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Orleans Suite, July 30, 2002

By 

Michael J. Connor (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Orleans Suite (Audio CD)

The New Orleans Suite:
1970 was an exceptionally busy year for Duke Ellington. In January he toured the Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In April he premiered the New Orleans Suite in New Orleans. April 27, 1970 he records five of the songs, Johnny Hodges died on May 11, 1970, The portraits were recorded on May 13, 1970, Ellington began recording "The River" on May 25, 1970. On May 28, 1970 Ellington records with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. On June 3, 1970 he records more for the River, recording continues on June 8, 1970, and June 15, 1970. (See Private Collection Volume 5 for the River recordings.) The Ballet premiered on June 25, 1970. At the end of June he began a tour of Europe which lasts until the middle of August. On
September 18, 1970 Ellington premiered the Afro Eurasian Eclipse at Monterey. And so on.

As stated above, The New Orleans Suite was recorded at two separate sessions. Blues for New Orleans, Bourbon
Street Jingling Jollies, Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta, Second Line, Aristocracy a la Jean LaFitte were recorded on April 27, 1970. It was Johnny Hodges last recording session. Cat Anderson was not at that recording session. Fred Stone and Al Rubin replaced him. On May 13, 1970 Cat Anderson returned and Money Johnson and Al Rubin departed.

Though I like all the songs, the Portraits are the ones I find most interesting. The Portraits have a conection with New Orleans and with Duke Ellington. " Portrait of Louis Armstrong" has Cootie Williams's gorgeous open horn tribute to his idol. It is one of Williams last great features.
It's a great piece. Ellington and Armstrong recorded together in 1961.
Wellman Braud was Ellington's bass player from 1926 until 1935. This portrait has Harry Carney on bass clarinet and Joe Benjamin on bass mimic Braud's bass playing style.
Portrait of Mahalia Jackson is Ellington's second recorded portrait of the singer. The first "Mahalia" was included in the Girls' Suite (1961). That piece is copyrighted by Ellington, but van de Leur says it's probably by Strayhorn. Norris Turney's flute is what I remember most about this portrait. Mahalia Jackson and Ellington recorded together in 1958.
The Portrait of Sidney Bechet was planned as a feature for Johnny Hodges on soprano saxophone. (His first such feature since the early 1940's.) But as Hodges had died two days
before it was given to Paul Gonsalves. Sidney Bechet was in Ellington's band for a few weeks in the 1920's.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An American classic, February 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: New Orleans Suite (Audio CD)

NEW ORLEANS SUITE is one of Duke's last recordings, and Johnny Hodges' very last. These guys were pushing 70 when they recorded this stuff. Amazing. The opening track, BLUES FOR NEW ORLEANS, absolutely smokes, driven by Hodges' horn and Wild Bill Davis' organ. The next track, BOURBON STREET JINGLING JOLLIES, captures Bourbon Street at 6 am, rather than midnight. Tributes to Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Mahalia Jackson are rollicking, dignified and joyful, respectively.
Duke Ellington's music is a national treasure and with NEW ORLEANS SUITE, he saved the best for last.