Such Sweet Thunder
Such Sweet Thunder | ||||
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Studio album by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra | ||||
Released | April 1957 or May 1957 | |||
Recorded | August 7, 1956 – May 3, 1957 | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 38:57 | |||
Label | Columbia/Legacy | |||
Producer | Irving Townsend – Original Recording Phil Schaap – Reissue | |||
Duke Ellington and his Orchestra chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [2] |
Tom Hull | A−[3] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Such Sweet Thunder is a Duke Ellington album, released in 1957. The record is a twelve-part suite based on the work of William Shakespeare.
Background
In August 1956, Duke Ellington and his orchestra were in Canada, performing in the same city as the ongoing Stratford Shakespearean Festival. Curious, Ellington and his longtime composer/arranger Billy Strayhorn talked to festival staffers, and Ellington soon announced his next album project would be a conceptual piece, paying tribute to Shakespeare's varied works with appropriate jazz compositions. In addition to the Such Sweet Thunder album, he promised the entire suite would be performed at the 1957 edition of the festival. Ellington and Strayhorn began building a home library of Shakespeare, seeking out Shakespeare experts, and reading through the canon during orchestra downtime. The title comes from Act IV scene i of A Midsummer Night's Dream, where Hippolyta says: "I never heard / So musical a discord, such sweet thunder."[5]
The suite that would constitute Such Sweet Thunder was written in just under three weeks and recorded in early 1957. Although most of the compositions were created for the suite in conjunction with Strayhorn, a few were versions of older Strayhorn songs that were reworked and re-titled for the collection.[6]
Track listing
All songs written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, except where noted.
- "Such Sweet Thunder {Cleo}" – 3:22
- "Sonnet for Caesar" – 3:00
- "Sonnet to Hank Cinq" – 1:24
- "Lady Mac" – 3:41
- "Sonnet in Search of a Moor" – 2:22
- "The Telecasters" – 3:05
- "Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down) {Puck}" – 3:09
- "Sonnet for Sister Kate" – 2:24
- "The Star-Crossed Lovers" (Also known as "Pretty Girl") – 4:00
- "Madness in Great Ones {Hamlet}" – 3:26
- "Half the Fun" (Also known as "Lately") – 4:19
- "Circle of Fourths" – 1:45
Bonus tracks
- "The Star-Crossed Lovers" (Also known as "Pretty Girl") (stereo LP master) – 4:15
- "Circle of Fourths" (stereo LP master) – 1:47
- "Suburban Beauty" (Ellington) – 2:56
- "A-Flat Minor" (Ellington) – 2:33
- "Café au Lait" – 2:49
- "Half the Fun" (Alternate take) – 4:08
- "Suburban Beauty" (Alternate take) (Ellington) – 2:56
- "A-Flat Minor" (Outtake) (Ellington) – 3:49
- "Café au Lait" – 6:21
- "Pretty Girl" (Also known as the "Star-Crossed Lovers") (Outtake) – 8:54
Production/reissue credits
Musicians
- Jimmy Hamilton – Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
- Johnny Hodges – Alto Saxophone
- Russell Procope – Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
- Paul Gonsalves – Tenor Saxophone
- Harry Carney – Bass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone
- Cat Anderson – Trumpet
- Clark Terry – Trumpet
- Ray Nance – Trumpet
- Willie Cook – Trumpet
- Quentin Jackson – Trombone
- John Sanders – Trombone
- Britt Woodman – Trombone
- Jimmy Woode – Bass
- Duke Ellington – Piano
- Sam Woodyard – Drums
- Billy Strayhorn – Orchestration
Production
- Irving Townsend – Liner Notes, Original Recording Producer
- Phil Schaap – Liner Notes, Reissue Producer, Remastering, Research, Restoration. (No reissue retains Clark Terry's quotation, on the original LP release, of Puck's "Lord, what fools these mortals be!")
- Steven Berkowitz – A&R
- Darren Salmieri – A&R
- Mark Wilder – Digital Mastering
- Howard Fritzson – Art Direction
- Don Hunstein – Photography
- Randall Martin – Design
- Juliana Myrick – Package Manager
Critical reception
NPR has included this album on their Basic Jazz Record Library.[7] The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave the album 4 stars (out of a possible 4.) Allmusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars.
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 69. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Essential Jazz Albums of the 1950s". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 434. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ The Norton Shakespeare (3 ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 2016. p. 1083.
- ^ Cunniffe, Thomas. "Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "Such Sweet Thunder"". Jazz History Online. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ "Duke Ellington: 'Such Sweet Thunder'". NPR.org.
Bibliography (further reading)
Contemporary reviews and journalism
- “Ellington Suite to Bow April 28” The New York Times. 15 April 1957.
- Parmenter, Ross. “Music: Weill and the Duke.” The New York Times 29 April 1957.
- “New Ellington Suite Hailed By Coast-to-Coast Audience.” Daily Defender. 2 July 1957.
- Wilson, John S. “Duke Bounces Back With Provocative Work.” The New York Times. 13 Oct. 1957. esp 113
- Wilson, John S. “Jazz: Ellington.” The New York Times 13 October 1957.
Historical and analytical writings (in reverse chronological order)
- Bradbury, David. Duke Ellington. London: Haus, 2005. Esp. pp. 91.
- Lanier, Douglas. “To Be-Bop or Not to Be-Bop; Minstrelsy, Jazz, Rap: Shakespeare, African American Music, and Cultural Legitimation.” Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation Vol. 1, 2005 [no pagination].
- Buhler, Stephen M. “Form and Character in Duke Ellington’s and Billy Strayhorn’s Such Sweet Thunder.” Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation Vol. 1, 2005 [no pagination].
- Nicholson, Stuart. Reminiscing in Tempo: A Portrait of Duke Ellington. Northeastern University Press, 1999, esp. pp. ???-???.
- Lambert, Eddie. Duke Ellington: A Listener’s Guide. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 1999. Esp. pp. 193–194.
- Kernfeld, Barry. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. St. Martin's Press, 1994. esp 331
- Hasse, John Edward. Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.
- Tucker, Mark. The Duke Ellington Reader. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Esp. pp. 321, 441. esp. pp. 339–341, 393
- Harrison, Max. “Max Harrison: Some Reflections on Ellington’s Longer Works. The Duke Ellington Reader. Tucker, Mark, ed. (esp. pg.393).
- Crouch, Stanley. “Stanley Crouch on Such Sweet Thunder, Suite Thursday, and Anatomy of a Murder.” The Duke Ellington Reader. Tucker, Mark, ed. (esp. 339, 441).
- Hasse, John. Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1993. Esp. pp. 331–333, 362.
- Timmer, W.E. Ellingtonia: The recorded music of Duke Ellington and his sidemen. Metuchen, N.J.: Institute of Jazz Studies: Scarecrow Press, 1988. Esp. pp. 450.
- Marsalis, Wynton. “What Jazz is and Isn’t.” The New York Times. 31, July 1988.
- Ellington, Mercer. Duke Ellington in Person: An Intimate Memoir. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1978. Esp. pp. 117.
- Ellington, Duke. Music is My Mistress. New York: Da Capo Press, 1976, c1973. Esp. pp. 192.
- v
- t
- e
- Harlem Jazz, 1930
- Ellingtonia, Vol. One
- Ellingtonia, Vol. Two
- Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year
- The Blanton–Webster Band
- Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
- Smoke Rings
- Liberian Suite
- Great Times!
- Masterpieces by Ellington
- Ellington Uptown
- The Duke Plays Ellington
- Ellington '55
- Dance to the Duke!
- Ellington Showcase
- Historically Speaking
- Duke Ellington Presents...
- The Complete Porgy and Bess
- A Drum Is a Woman
- Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
- Such Sweet Thunder
- Studio Sessions 1957 & 1962
- Ellington Indigos
- Black, Brown and Beige
- Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque
- The Cosmic Scene
- Happy Reunion
- Jazz Party
- Anatomy of a Murder
- Festival Session
- Blues in Orbit
- The Nutcracker Suite
- Piano in the Background
- Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G.
- Unknown Session
- Piano in the Foreground
- Paris Blues
- Featuring Paul Gonsalves
- Midnight in Paris
- Studio Sessions, New York 1962
- Afro-Bossa
- The Symphonic Ellington
- Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
- Studio Sessions New York 1963
- My People
- Ellington '65
- Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins
- Ellington '66
- Concert in the Virgin Islands
- The Popular Duke Ellington
- Far East Suite
- The Jaywalker
- Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York
- ...And His Mother Called Him Bill
- Second Sacred Concert
- Studio Sessions New York, 1968
- Latin American Suite
- The Pianist
- New Orleans Suite
- Orchestral Works
- The Suites, New York 1968 & 1970
- The Intimacy of the Blues
- The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
- Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971
- The Intimate Ellington
- The Ellington Suites
- This One's for Blanton!
- Up in Duke's Workshop
- Duke's Big 4
- Mood Ellington
- Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live
- Black, Brown, and Beige
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1946
- The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947
- Ellington at Newport
- Dance Concerts, California 1958
- Dance Dates, California 1958
- Newport 1958
- Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II
- Duke Ellington at the Alhambra
- Live at the Blue Note
- Hot Summer Dance
- The Great Paris Concert
- A Concert of Sacred Music
- In the Uncommon Market
- Soul Call
- Yale Concert
- 70th Birthday Concert
- Togo Brava Suite
- Live at the Whitney
- Third Sacred Concert
- Eastbourne Performance
- Blue Rose
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book
- Side by Side
- Back to Back
- The Great Summit
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke
- Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins
- Money Jungle
- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
- Serenade to Sweden
- Ella at Duke's Place
- The Stockholm Concert, 1966
- Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
- Francis A. & Edward K.
- It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
- "African Flower"
- "All Too Soon"
- "Azure"
- "Black and Tan Fantasy"
- "Black, Brown and Beige"
- "C Jam Blues"
- "Come Sunday"
- "Cotton Tail"
- "Creole Love Call"
- "Day Dream"
- "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue"
- "Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me"
- "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
- "Drop Me Off in Harlem"
- "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"
- "Echoes of Harlem"
- "Everything but You"
- "I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues"
- "I Didn't Know About You"
- "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)"
- "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"
- "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
- "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"
- "In a Mellow Tone"
- "In a Sentimental Mood"
- "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
- "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'"
- "Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)"
- "The Mooche"
- "Mood Indigo"
- " Prelude to a Kiss"
- "Rocks in My Bed"
- "(In My) Solitude"
- "Sophisticated Lady"
- Queenie Pie (unfinished opera)
by Billy Strayhorn |
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by Juan Tizol |
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members
- Hayes Alvis
- Cat Anderson
- Ivie Anderson
- Harold Ashby
- Alice Babs
- Shorty Baker
- Butch Ballard
- Art Baron
- Aaron Bell
- Louie Bellson
- Joe Benjamin
- Barney Bigard
- Lou Blackburn
- Jimmy Blanton
- Wellman Braud
- Lawrence Brown
- Harry Carney
- Johnny Coles
- Willie Cook
- Buster Cooper
- Kay Davis
- Wild Bill Davis
- Wilbur de Paris
- Bobby Durham
- Mercer Ellington
- Rolf Ericson
- Jimmy Forrest
- Victor Gaskin
- Peter Giger
- Tyree Glenn
- Paul Gonsalves
- Sonny Greer
- Fred Guy
- Jimmy Hamilton
- Otto Hardwick
- Shelton Hemphill
- Rick Henderson
- Al Hibbler
- Johnny Hodges
- Major Holley
- Charlie Irvis
- Quentin Jackson
- Hilton Jefferson
- Herb Jeffries
- Freddie Jenkins
- Money Johnson
- Herbie Jones
- Wallace Jones
- Taft Jordan
- Al Killian
- Queen Esther Marrow
- Wendell Marshall
- Murray McEachern
- Louis Metcalf
- James "Bubber" Miley
- Harold "Geezil" Minerve
- Ray Nance
- Tricky Sam Nanton
- Oscar Pettiford
- Eddie Preston
- Russell Procope
- Junior Raglin
- Betty Roché
- Ernie Royal
- Al Sears
- Joya Sherrill
- Willie Smith
- Elmer Snowden
- Rex Stewart
- Billy Strayhorn
- Billy Taylor
- Clark Terry
- Juan Tizol
- Norris Turney
- Ben Webster
- Arthur Whetsel
- Cootie Williams
- Nelson Williams
- Skippy Williams
- Booty Wood
- Jimmy Woode
- Britt Woodman
- Sam Woodyard