Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G.


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.

Reception

The Allmusic review awarded the album 4½ stars.
In the 1960s, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music made a statement, referring to a Swedish law paragraph called "Klassikerskyddet" 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.
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".

Track listing

  1. "Morning Mood" – 4:24
  2. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" – 2:33
  3. "Solvejg's Song" – 3:59
  4. "Ase's Death" – 3:47
  5. "Anitra's Dance" – 2:58
  6. "Misfit Blues" – 4:09
  7. "Schwiphti" – 3:04
  8. "Zweet Zurzday" – 3:56
  9. "Lay-By" – 4:50

    Personnel