Swinging Suites by Edward E. & Edward G. | |
Type: | Album |
Artist: | Duke Ellington |
Cover: | Swinging Suites by Edward E & Edward G.jpg |
Released: | c. 1961[1] |
Recorded: | June 28, 29 & 30, and October 10, 1960 |
Studio: | Radio Recorders, Los Angeles |
Genre: | Jazz, swing, big band, third stream |
Label: | Columbia CL 1597 / CS 8397 |
Producer: | Irving Townsend |
Chronology: | Duke Ellington |
Prev Title: | Piano in the Background |
Prev Year: | 1960 |
Next Title: | Unknown Session |
Next Year: | 1960 |
Swinging Suites by Edward E. & Edward G. (also known as Peer Gynt Suite/Suite Thursday) 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.[2] The album was rereleased on CD as Three Suites along with Ellington's reworking of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in 1990.
The Allmusic customer rating awarded the album 4½ stars.[3]
In the 1960s, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music made a statement, referring to a Swedish law paragraph called "Klassikerskyddet" ("Protection of Classics") in the copyright legislation, that Duke Ellington's jazz versions on the album were "offending to the nordic music culture". Ellington withdrew the album and the case was never tried in court.[4]
In 1992, The New York Times reviewed a live performance of Ellington's Peer Gynt adaption: "The pieces, with their dense and gorgeous harmonies, lend themselves perfectly to live performance" and "the melody kept peeking around creamy harmonies, hurtling up-tempo sections abruptly merged with ballads".[5]
Selections from "Peer Gynt" suites No. 1 and 2 written by Edvard Grieg adapted by Duke Ellington
"Suite Thursday" written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn
Recorded in Los Angeles on June 28 (tracks 1 & 5), June 29 (tracks 3 & 4), June 30 (track 2), and October 10 (tracks 6–9), 1960.[6]