Duke Ellington Three Suites | [upd]

Ellington doesn’t parody Tchaikovsky; he honors him. He keeps the DNA of the melody intact but changes the inflection . He treats the jazz orchestra as a legitimate symphony of its own kind.

Released in 1960, "Three Suites" is a landmark album by Duke Ellington duke ellington three suites

Beyond the Three-Minute Record: Symphonic Scope and Cultural Narrative in Duke Ellington’s Three Suites Ellington doesn’t parody Tchaikovsky; he honors him

Some critics in 1960 accused Ellington of "selling out" to European standards. In retrospect, this is naive. Ellington wasn’t bowing to Europe; he was conquering it. By swinging the classics, he was saying, "This music belongs to us, too." He democratized the concert hall. Released in 1960, "Three Suites" is a landmark

The "Third Suite" consists of six movements, each one dedicated to a different aspect of Ellington's life and career. From the nostalgic, blues-inflected "Mood Indigo" to the exuberant, virtuosic "Take the A Train," the suite is a retrospective of Ellington's career, featuring many of his most beloved themes and motifs.