A magnificent decade of music from
Duke Ellington – the bulk of his fifties recordings for Columbia Records – all albums that really show the
Duke stretching forth and greatly developing his style! The scope of performances here is breathtaking – as
Ellington works
with key sidemen of the postwar years, and moves into much longer-form recordings that before – tracks that help him deeply express his new ideas, and also make way for a few guest performers too. Each album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve, replicating the original record – and the box features the albums Masterpieces By
Ellington,
Ellington Uptown, A Drum Is A Woman, Such Sweet Thunder,
Ellington Indigos, The Cosmic Scene, and At The Bal Masque – plus the Black Brown & Beige suite
with Mahalia Jackson, and the Blue Rose album
with vocals by
Rosemary Clooney!
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