Liberian Suite

Last updated
Liberian Suite
Liberian Suite.jpg
Studio album by Duke Ellington
Released 1948
Recorded December 24, 1947
Genre Jazz
Label Columbia
Duke Ellington chronology
Black, Brown & Beige: The 1944-1946 Band Recordings
(1944–46)
Liberian Suite
(1948)
The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947
(1947)

Liberian Suite is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia label in 1947. The album was Ellingon's second 10" LP album and one of his earlier works on the Columbia label. [1] The suite represents one of Ellington's early extended compositions and was commissioned for the Liberian centennial. The Liberian Suite was released on CD as bonus tracks on Ellington Uptown in 2004.

Duke Ellington American jazz musician, composer and band leader

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than fifty years.

Columbia Records American record label; currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment

Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded in 1887, evolving from the American Graphophone Company, the successor to the Volta Graphophone Company. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. From 1961 to 1990, Columbia recordings were released outside North America under the name CBS Records to avoid confusion with EMI's Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels, alongside former longtime rival RCA Records, as well as Arista Records and Epic Records.

Liberia republic in West Africa

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south-southwest. It covers an area of 111,369 square kilometers (43,000 sq mi) and has a population of around 4,700,000 people. English is the official language and over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, representing the numerous ethnic groups who make up more than 95% of the population. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.

Contents

Reception

The Allmusic review awarded the album 3 stars and stated "Liberian Suite was his first international commission, from the government of the African nation, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding by freed American slaves-it was the first formal manifestation of a process by which Ellington would be a virtual musical ambassador to the world by the end of the next decade. As to the music, it is not Ellington's most sophisticated piece of music, but it is filled with bracing rhythms, juicy parts for the horns and saxes, and one stunning vocal part". [2]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Around 1953 Philips brought out the Liberian Suite on Minigroove 33 1/3 under number B 07611R

Track listing

:All compositions by Duke Ellington

  1. "The Liberian Suite: I Like the Sunrise" – 4:28
  2. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 1" – 4:50
  3. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 2" – 3:26
  4. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 3" – 3:45
  5. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 4" – 3:04
  6. "The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 5" – 5:08

Personnel

Piano musical instrument

The piano is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700, in which the strings are struck by hammers. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings.

Shorty Baker American musician

Harold "Shorty" Baker was a jazz trumpeter.

Shelton Hemphill American musician

Shelton "Scad" Hemphill was an American jazz trumpeter whose career lasted from the mid 1920s through the late 1950s.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Ellington Suites</i> 1976 studio album by Duke Ellington

The Ellington Suites is an album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington which collects three suites recorded in 1959, 1971, and 1972 released on the Pablo label in 1976. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1976. Ellington wrote "The Queen's Suite" for Queen Elizabeth II who was presented with a single pressing of the recording, which was not commercially issued during Ellington's lifetime.

<i>New Orleans Suite</i> 1970 studio album by Duke Ellington

New Orleans Suite is the eighth studio album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded and released on the Atlantic label in 1970. The album features the final recordings of longtime Ellington saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who died between the album's two recording sessions. The album won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band.

<i>Concert in the Virgin Islands</i> 1965 album by Duke Ellington

Concert in the Virgin Islands is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded and released on the Reprise label in 1965. The album features studio recordings that Duke composed after he and his orchestra played concerts on St. Croix and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in April, 1965. This album includes the four-part Virgin Islands Suite, as well as numbers played at the concerts on the islands.

<i>Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque</i> album by Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1958 and released on the Columbia label.

<i>Festival Session</i> 1959 studio album by Duke Ellington

Festival Session is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia Records label in 1959. The album was rereleased on CD in 2004 with two bonus tracks.

<i>Duke Ellington Presents...</i> album by Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington Presents... is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Bethlehem label in 1956.

<i>Ellington Uptown</i> 1952 studio album by Duke Ellington

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

<i>Dance to the Duke!</i> album by Duke Ellington

Dance to the Duke! is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Capitol label in 1953. The album has not been released on CD but the tracks have appeared on The Complete Capitol Recordings of Duke Ellington released by Mosaic Records in 1995.

<i>The Nutcracker Suite</i> (Duke Ellington album) 1960 studio album by Duke Ellington

The Nutcracker Suite is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz interpretations of "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, arranged by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

<i>Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G.</i> 1961 studio album by Duke Ellington

Swinging Suites by Edward E. & Edward G. is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded for the Columbia label in 1960 featuring a jazz interpretation of Peer Gynt by Grieg and Ellington's tribute to John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, co-written by Billy Strayhorn. The album was rereleased on CD as Three Suites along with Ellington's reworking of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in 1990.

<i>My People</i> (Duke Ellington album) album by Duke Ellington

My People is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington written and recorded in 1963 for a stage show and originally released on Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman label and later released on CD on the Red Baron label. The album features recordings of compositions by Ellington for a stage show presented in Chicago as part of the Century of Negro Progress Exposition in 1963.

<i>Latin American Suite</i> 1972 studio album by Duke Ellington

Latin American Suite is a studio album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington mainly recorded in 1968, with one track completed in 1970, and released on the Fantasy label in 1972.

<i>Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II</i> 1973 live album by Duke Ellington

Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1958 at a party for Columbia Records and released on the label in 1973. The Miles Davis Sextet was also recorded at the same event and released as the first volume of Jazz at the Plaza.

<i>Midnight in Paris</i> (album) 1962 album by Duke Ellington

Midnight in Paris is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1962 for the Columbia label. The album features performances of compositions inspired by or associated with Paris.

<i>The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944</i> 1977 live album by Duke Ellington

The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944 is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Carnegie Hall, in New York City in 1944 and released on the Prestige label in 1977.

<i>The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1946</i> 1977 live album by Duke Ellington

The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1946 is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Carnegie Hall, in New York City in 1946 and released on the Prestige label in 1977.

<i>The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947</i> 1977 live album by Duke Ellington

The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947 is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Carnegie Hall, in New York City in 1947 and released on the Prestige label in 1977.

<i>Dance Concerts, California 1958</i> live album by Duke Ellington

Dance Concerts, California 1958 is the second volume of The Private Collection a series documenting recordings made by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington for his personal collection which was first publicly released on the LMR label in 1987 and later on the Saja label.

<i>Dance Dates, California 1958</i> live album by Duke Ellington

Dance Dates, California 1958 is the sixth volume of The Private Collection a series documenting recordings made by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington for his personal collection which was first publicly released on the LMR label in 1987 and later on the Saja label.

<i>The Girls Suite and The Perfume Suite</i> 1982 album by Duke Ellington

The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington compiling recordings from 1957 and 1961 which were released on the Columbia label in 1982.

References

  1. A Duke Ellington Panorama accessed May 25, 2010
  2. 1 2 Allmusic Review accessed May 25, 2010