Such Sweet Thunder

"Such Sweet Thunder", Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: Columbia catalog #: CL 1033 (LP), 1957. Sony Music Entertainment/Columbia Legacy catalog #: CK 65568 (CD), 1999.

This is a re-release of the original 1957 recording for the "Such Sweet Thunder Suite", a work dedicated to The Shakespeare Festival, Stratford Ontario. "Such Sweet Thunder" premiered at the "Music for Moderns" concert at the Town Hall (NYC), in April, 1957. The premiere did not include the final track of the suite "Circle of Fourths" which was recorded four days later. This CD includes the original 12 tracks on the LP, and 10 alternate/preferred and outtakes. In addition, the CD includes a reproduction of the orginal LP liner notes written by Irving Townsend (producer on original recording), as well as comprehensive research notes written by Bill Berry (Ellington Orchestra trumpeter) and Phil Schaap (producer/researcher of the re-master). The research notes include: recording date and recording session number for each track (rehersal, alternate, preferred, master or outtake); the soloists for eack track; and previous releases of the tracks on the album.