DUKE OF ELEGANT: GEMS FROM THE DUKE ELLINGTON / VA

Edward Kennedy Ellington was known as "The Duke," a most appropriate and fitting title for the man, the artist, and the musical creator who would become possibly the single most towering figure in all American music. Ellington's legacy is vast, with perhaps a total of 3,000 composed works overall. Here, we're concentrating on Ellington's more familiar song forms performed by the likes of David 'Fathead' Newman, Cedar Walton, Mark Murphy, Houston Person, Eric Reed, Sheila Jordan and others. This anthology, at a midline price, should be on the shelf of anyone who loves the work of "The Duke."