Duke records for the Queen - Ellington records The Queen's Suite - This Day inJazz Feb 25th 1959

On this day @in_jazz Feb 25th 1959 Duke Ellington records “The Queen’s Suite” for Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duke met Queen Elizabeth in 1958 and was inspired to write a twenty minute six movement suite for Her Majesty. A single gold disc was pressed and sent directly to Buckingham Palace and meant only for the Queen. The Duke paid the $2500 in production costs to retain rights to the master tapes so that it was not released during his lifetime.

It was release two years after Ellington’s death and won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1976.

All compositions by Duke Ellington except where noted.

"The Queen's Suite: Sunset and the Mocking Bird" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 3:50
"The Queen's Suite: Lightning Bugs and Frogs" (Strayhorn)[6] - 2:52
"The Queen's Suite: Le Sucrier Velours" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 2:46
"The Queen's Suite: Northern Lights" (Strayhorn) - 3:37
"The Queen's Suite: The Single Petal of a Rose" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 4:08
"The Queen's Suite: Apes and Peacocks" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 3:05