Ellington Uptown


Ellington Uptown is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded for the Columbia label in 1951 and 1952. The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with additional tracks recorded in 1947 and originally released as the Liberian Suite EP.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Although some historians have characterized the early '50s as Duke Ellington's 'off period', 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."
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."
The extended piece "A Tone Parallel to 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 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'." 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."

Track listing

:All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated
  1. "Skin Deep" – 6:49
  2. "The Mooche" – 6:36
  3. "Take the "A" Train" – 8:02
  4. "A Tone Parallel to Harlem (Harlem Suite)" – 13:48 Previously released on Ellington Uptown only
  5. "Perdido" – 8:25
  6. "Controversial Suite Part 1: Before My Time" – 6:09 Previously released on Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown only
  7. "Controversial Suite Part 2: Later" – 4:14 Previously released on Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown only
  8. "The Liberian Suite: I Like the Sunrise" – 4:28 Bonus track on CD reissue
  9. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 1" – 4:50 Bonus track on CD reissue
  10. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 2" – 3:26 Bonus track on CD reissue
  11. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 3" – 3:45 Bonus track on CD reissue
  12. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 4" – 3:04 Bonus track on CD reissue
  13. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 5" – 5:08 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel