Togo Brava Suite

Duke Ellington

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Togo Brava Suite Review

by Scott Yanow

This single CD reissues all of the contents of the original United Artists double LP. By the time of these concerts from England, the Duke Ellington Orchestra had suffered quite a few losses of veteran personnel with Johnny Hodges having passed away and such greats as Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, and Jimmy Hamilton having departed. However, the band was still a major force, and this set has plenty of highpoints. Ellington's four-part "Togo Brava Suite" contains some memorable themes; there are spirited remakes of "C Jam Blues," "Cotton Tail," "In a Mellotone," and "I Got It Bad" (the latter featuring vocalist Nell Brookshire), and among the solo stars are the ancient-sounding trumpeter Cootie Williams, trombonist Booty Wood, Norris Turney on alto and flute (his "Checkered Hat" is a fine tribute to Hodges), the tenors of Paul Gonsalves and Harold Ashby, and pianist Ellington himself.

Track Listing

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1
C Jam Blues
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 04:42 SpotifyAmazon
2
Toga Brava Suite: Soul Soothing Beach/Naturellement
Duke Ellington 11:56 SpotifyAmazon
3
Right on Togo
Duke Ellington 04:58 SpotifyAmazon
4
Happy Reunion
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 04:41 SpotifyAmazon
5
Addi
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 04:04 SpotifyAmazon
6
Lotus Blossom
Billy Strayhorn
Duke Ellington 02:30 SpotifyAmazon
7
Cotton Tail
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 04:18 SpotifyAmazon
8
Checkered Hat
Judy Spencer / Norris Turney
Duke Ellington 04:37 SpotifyAmazon
9
La Plus Belle Africaine
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 08:39 SpotifyAmazon
10
In a Mellow Tone
Duke Ellington / Milt Gabler
Duke Ellington 04:02 SpotifyAmazon
11
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Duke Ellington / Paul Francis Webster
Duke Ellington 05:29 SpotifyAmazon
12
Melancholia
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington 03:41 SpotifyAmazon
13
Soul Flute
Duke Ellington 03:19 SpotifyAmazon
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Togo Brava Suite

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