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Such Sweet Thunder

Duke Ellington  Main Performer

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Audio Compact Disc [Bonus Tracks]

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1 Such Sweet Thunder Strayhorn/Ellington 3:22
2 Sonnet for Caesar Strayhorn/Ellington 2:59
3 Sonnet to Hank Cinq Strayhorn/Ellington 1:23
4 Lady Mac Ellington/Strayhorn 3:40
5 Sonnet in Search of a Moor Ellington/Strayhorn 2:22
6 The Telecasters Ellington/Strayhorn 3:05
7 Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down) Strayhorn/Ellington 3:09
8 Sonnet for Sister Kate Strayhorn/Ellington 2:23
9 The Star Crossed Lovers Ellington/Strayhorn 3:59
10 Madness in Great Ones Ellington/Strayhorn 3:26
11 Half the Fun Ellington/Strayhorn 4:19
12 Circle of Fourths Strayhorn/Ellington 1:45
13 Suburban Beauty Strayhorn/Ellington 2:58
14 A Flat Minor Ellington/Strayhorn 2:35
15 Café au Lait Strayhorn/Ellington 2:44
16 A Tone Parallel to Harlem (The Harlem Suite) Ellington 13:45
17 The Controversial Suite, Pt. 1: Before My Time Ellington 6:08
18 The Controversial Suite, Pt. 2: Later Ellington 4:13
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Such Sweet Thunder

Audio Compact Disc [Bonus Tracks]

Label: Essential Jazz

Style: Big Band

Such Sweet Thunder

UPC: 8436028694167

Release Date: 07/10/2012

Original Release Date: 07/10/2012

Number of Discs: 1

Tracks: [Such Sweet Thunder, Sonnet for Caesar, Sonnet to Hank Cinq, Lady Mac, Sonnet in Search of a Moor, The Telecasters, Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down), Sonnet for Sister Kate, The Star Crossed Lovers, Madness in Great Ones, Half the Fun, Circle of Fourths, Suburban Beauty, A Flat Minor, Café au Lait, A Tone Parallel to Harlem (The Harlem Suite), The Controversial Suite, Pt. 1: Before My Time, The Controversial Suite, Pt. 2: Later]
Contributors:

Bruce Eder

The 2008 reissue of this album marks a total reconstruction and rethinking of the original LP, and such a complete break from the original album that its story could fill a book. Such Sweet Thunder was originally announced as a stereo and mono release, but only showed up in mono thanks to the technical problems inherent in early stereo in creating a concert-like ambience in which the performance seemed continuous. The reissue presents the original album as it was intended, using alternate takes from the original sessions, plus the stereo masters of the takes used on the original album, all rounded out with a mono outtake or two. The music itself counts among Ellington's most well-realized "concept projects," all inspired by Shakespeare's work and filled with memorable melodies and ample opportunities for solos by Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Quentin Jackson. The Ellington-Strayhorn compositions treat their soloists like actors doing scenes and, in effect, playing parts, even quoting lines after a fashion -- Clark Terry "plays" Puck in "Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down)," and Johnny Hodges turns in one of the most sensuous performances of his career for "Half the Fun," from Antony and Cleopatra. These moments more than justify the cost of the CD, and the bonus tracks, many of which are different takes and others are simply material that came from the same sessions, more than double the length of the original LP. The extended notes by Phil Schaap deserve some kind of award for detail and clarity. [Essential Jazz's 2008 edition included bonus tracks.] ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi