Duke Ellington: Queen's Suite

[@michaelmcdonagh5104]

My name is Michael McDonagh. I had the honor of serving as the President of San Francisco's Duke Ellington Society for many years , and we did, if memory serves, several programs of Duke's magnificent suites. We even had live guests ranging from bassist and bandleader Marcus Shelby, to singer Antoine Garth, to composer Gunther Schuller, and the wonderful chanteuse Lorna K. I was even interviewed on KCSM radio - about our work.

[@thecsslife]

The first song I thought of with the passing of the Queen. It has been an honour to witness her reign

[@jamesread6905]

Yes, it was almost as impressive as The Duke's reign.

[@VallinSFAS]

The Second Elizabethan Era. A lot more Shakespeares thanks to publishers and book/music-sellers.

[@stanleydubroca2626]

This is my favorite suite by Duke. Rest in peace Elizabeth

[@theogoldberg8919]

Ellington really was the Beethoven of Jazz. His compositions are so utterly subtle. He sure was inspired by the Queen’s persona !

[@MrBongoagogo]

This one is going out for the queen rest in peace queen Elizabeth 2.

[@JacquelineTHarty]

the definition of elegance … the queen the composer the music

[@andrea22213]

This and 'The Girls Suite' are my favourites.

[@jazzleeds]

The Queen met the Duke at the Town Hall in Leeds at the Leeds Centenary music festival in 1958. His band was playing at the Odeon cinema on the Headrow that evening. The Queen didn't attend the concert although apparently the Duke of Edinburgh did. Ellington composed the Queens Suite especially for the Queen after the meeting. We were lucky enough to put on a performance of the Suite at the JazzLeeds Festival in 2019.

[@SteveStalzle]

VIA THE WEB: In 1958, Ellington and his orchestra performed at an arts festival in Yorkshire, where he was presented to the Queen of England. He was so taken with her, that he wrote this suite in her honor. He had exactly ONE copy of the recording pressed, and had it delivered to Buckingham Palace as a present for the Queen. It was NOT intended to be commercially released. After Duke passed away, the recording was released so that the 'peasants' of the world had a chance to hear it.

[@ssballs]

Hahahaha. Only a Duke could do that. Great to hear something new and this tiddy bit of information.

[@KATLABELLE1]

Glad to be one of the "peasants" of the world ... Wonderful Suite. Did they really use that so derogative word, Steve ? FFS ...

[@Kleithap]

@@KATLABELLE1 I think Steve was just exaggerating as a joke ;-)

[@angelocouncil5827]

@steve stal...this "Queen Suite", was one wants to use as a praise garment to Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip journey with Christ Jesus' inter-national all stars big band of Duke Ellington's military big band of all the musicians that died in Christ Jesus. In short , this is theuniversal sacred praise concert , The Biblical Arrival Resurrection of Christ Jesus'Coming , BAR , ...

[@Egbert_Souse]

Well, this 71 yo peasant just heard this masterpiece for the first time and now have a new Ellington piece to adore . Ahh, It's good to be alive - with apologies to our late her majesty.

[@rebeccaheth7063]

What a treat to hear what the one and only DUKE Ellington chose as a gift to the QUEEN. This makes the heart melt!!! Thanks for posting. RIP Queen Elizabeth II

[@timothysimon4681]

Duke & Sweet Pea, nothing else can be said!

[@mikeledonne8134]

Who would give this a thumbs down? 'm afraid if you give this beautiful masterpiece a thumbs down it is merely a reflection of your lack of taste.

[@lapp9999]

Beauty is a rare thing. It's possible that not everyone can see or hear it.

[@MaximTendu]

maybe they're republicans.

[@branthomas1621]

or lack of soul

[@isaacsdaddy1998]

Could just be people who don't like the queen. Let's hope they still love the music. We'll be playing this in Ipswich in June 2023 with Harmony In Harlem band. Dx

[@marcmcintosh5995]

Sadly youre correct. And people will let their hate cloud all judgement. Let alone their hearts​@isaacsdaddy1998

[@JohnSpawn1]

0:00 Sunset and the Mocking Bird 3:51 Lightning Bugs and Frogs 6:45 Le Sucrier Velours 9:33 Northern Lights 13:11 The Single Petal of a Rose 17:19 Apes and a Peacock

[@blackiefully]

I love the photo .

[@VallinSFAS]

The summit of elegance represented here is the era in which I was born in Washington DC.

[@suzannelaurin7810]

On n’oublie pAs cette grande musique …..qu’elle époque!

[@ritasullivan8948]

Beautiful...as the Queen herself .

[@snflack]

Music of The Greatest Generation!👑🎶

[@dr.wallacesife5377]

...On further reflection, this is the poetic music of genius!

[@sriyanperera6607]

13:25 The single petal of a Rose. Reminds me of the Walt Disney's film Beauty and the beast. 🥀🌹

[@jimg8490]

Spectacular in its own right, doubly so knowing it was written for Queen Elizabeth

[@dr.wallacesife5377]

After all these years I finally played this. Yeah!

[@AndreVerGotti]

Do you have the sheet music by any chance? Or where to find it?

[@tonyturner5744]

The GOAT

[@charlesbarry6730]

The sound of Johnny Hodges. Great recording.

[@lisamohammed4675]

How beautiful such a lovely piece of music God bless the Queen R.I.P🥲🥰🙏❤🙏

[@Carizmojones]

When the Queen, in 1958, asked the Duke if he'd been to England before,, he replied that his first visit was in 1933, long before she was born. Having actually been born in 1926, Duke was backhand complementing her.

[@MarkSunshine]

I had this double vinyl Pablo reissue. It always powers me when I need it most.

[@salmon_sweet4912]

Long Live The Queen Look at the picture, they're fallin in love

[@silviamazzara257]

Rip Queen ❤️

[@Karsten_Kramer]

Incredible beautiful music!

[@bretprimack9174]

A masterpiece. Truly.

[@Vamper946]

What an incredible piece of music! All of the different movements are great but my favourites have to be either Sunset and the Mockingbird - what a fantastic, sweeping song that perfectly evokes the exquisite beauty of a sunset- or The Single Petal of a Rose - truly a haunting, touching piece that is so delicate and yet so powerful; truly magnificent.

[@augustinecrooks6250]

I love u so much...you are my idol you are my everything thank you!!! That means a lot! specially coming from you

[@esmeephillips5888]

Edward Kennedy Ellington got his nickname as a small boy bc of his precociously courtly manners. When he met Queen Elizabeth (b. 1926) in 1958, she asked when he had last gigged in Britain. Duke replied 'In 1933, your majesty, years before you were born.' And so the monarch of all modern monarchs met the aristocrat of jazz.

[@esmeephillips5888]

From this (and Motown, Stax, Atlantic) to gangsta rap in just over one generation. Ho hum.

[@theogoldberg8919]

There is actually really good gangsta rap. Not quite sure it was her Majesty’s cup of tea though 😂😂😂😂

[@lesleywatters7702]

Came across this quite by chance today.

[@mattbee7930]

Thank you ! always loved that record...

[@JacquelineTHarty-kf1vj]

Beautiful elegant music. Like the Queen. Like Ellington,

[@theogoldberg8919]

Thank you Jacqueline

[@RM-gm7lu]

That Image!

[@johnmcdermott1806]

R M absolutely. Great observation. A lot of emotion here

[@Laurenzatto54]

AMAZING

[@elijahmuhammad172]

R.I.P Majesty

[@stingfan16ify]

That was a beautiful section! The melody was really lovely.

[@joemaranzano]

R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth.

[@deanmartin1931]

He is simple the best

[@1jondee]

There is no suite, no grouping of jazz tunes that comes close to this. & it's silly to try & cover any of them. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best Ellington ever recorded.

[@agamemnonpadar5706]

The saxophone section sounds sometimes like just exhaling softly. And Hodges is a singer on his alto. Love the music

[@ssballs]

It's the first time I am playing this after reading a story about the single recording made as a gift. The intro alone makes me believe that it is

[@nohchoonghyeon]

RIP👸

[@giannantonio]

Meraviglia

[@takeoyaji39]

デュークエリントン楽団の『女王組曲』。久しぶりに聴きました。確かエリザベス女王が自分との会談に時間を割いてくれた事に感激したデュークエリントンがレコードを１枚だけ作って女王様にプレゼントしたという曲。しかしあまりジャズに詳しくない高校生の頃の自分が友達から借りられる程レコードが出回っていましたが～？。カップリングにグーテラス組曲とユウイス組曲というのが収録されていた記憶がありますが、果たしてKZbinに録音の有無は・・・？。

[@johnniewhite]

Goutelas Suite やUwis Suiteは英語で検索すると一杯でてきますが、そのオリジナルの音源とやらはあるのでしょうかね。

[@SharkWithADrill]

what did you mean by this

[@ahmedhossamdehhaoui9574]

Who's coming from Flea's post

[@theogoldberg8919]

When England ‘s Royalty met Jazz’s royalty

[@BananeHammond]

🌹

[@blackiefully]

It's Duke ! Only he coud possible compose from a Queen because he is a Duke.

[@sriyanperera6607]

17:22 Apes and Peacocks. 17:27 the music part sounds exactly like the pink panther theme song.

[@isaacsdaddy1998]

Hahaha! Yes it kind of does... Film was 63 though... I'm guessing Mancini would more likely to have been influenced, though TBH writers just breathe the same air and the Zeitgeist does the rest. Dx

[@jamestharp2979]

From one of us peasants, "God Bless 'Er" an' 'Im

[@ZOGGYDOGGY]

"In 1958, the youthful Queen, instead of mixing with the usual blue-blooded gang, had the honor of being presented to a real aristocrat, in white tie and tails-Duke Ellington, who was performing at a festival in Yorkshire. He recalled, “She asked me when was your first time in England? Oh, I said, oh my first time in England was in 1933, way before you were born.” (Her birth was actually in 1926.) “She gave me a real American look; very cool man, which I thought was too much.” Later that night, the story goes, Ellington went back to his hotel and began composing what would wind up as “The Queen’s Suite,” in six parts. Only one copy of the recording was pressed. It was sent to Her Majesty; the piece was not heard by the public until after Duke passed away. Talk about the good and the great." Anthony Lane in the September 19, 2022 "New Yorker"

[@lapp9999]

it appears even The New Yorker needs fact checkers

[@ZOGGYDOGGY]

@@lapp9999 what is factually wrong?

[@lapp9999]

@@ZOGGYDOGGY there were other pressings made (Strayhorn had one, as did others)

[@ZOGGYDOGGY]

@@lapp9999 thanks. "Only one copy of the recording was pressed. It was sent to Her Majesty; the piece was not heard by the public until after Duke passed away." It was sold to the general public until after the Duke died though, right?

[@lapp9999]

@@ZOGGYDOGGY It wasn't sold to the general public until Pablo issued it in '76.

[@mhassin8314]

If im not mistaken Duke was asked to write a piece of music for her 20th birthday? Is he also not the first African man to be knighted by the queen of england?

[@lapp9999]

A Turner Queen Elizabeth was born in 1926. she would have been about 33 when this was recorded. Adadata Defora's great-great grandfather was the mayor of Sierra Leone and reportedly became the first black man knighted (by Queen Victoria).

[@DeanMk1]

The Queen's Suite was composed in honor of Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953. It was finished 7 years later and only a single copy was pressed, which was presented to her. In 1976, a posthumous album was released that encompassed all 3 of Ellington's Suites. I believe that was the first time the general public got to hear The Queen's Suite and its been a must-have for any Ellington fan ever since.

[@DansoundSeattle]

Your first sentence is erroneous. Duke met her in 1958 and was so impressed and was then inspired to write the songs. The info in Henri de Lagardere's post above is correct, except for leaving out the additional detail that it was recorded in the 30th St. Studio. There's a nice article about The Queen's Suite at the-queens-suite.blogspot.com/2010/07/duke-ellington-meets-queen.html @@DeanMk1

[@sparkspark833]

The duke, always one for the ladies!

[@bethnorwood6158]

Another very musical knight about whom you might wish to know: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevalier_de_Saint-Georges

[@051963mf]

The only real royalty in this shot is the Duke. In front of him I would take my hat off any time.

[@dwaynesbadchemicals]

So... did she get Duked or what?

[@user2653]

Oh lawd

[@mikestander2413]

Duke had a certain special way with the ladies. I wonder.....

[@isaacsdaddy1998]

Okay so who is their secret love child, raised without knowing who their parents were? Born in 59... go for it! Dx

[@mabovithzelthz4580]

此の冒頭に流れるのは、夕暮れとモッキングバード。琴の様な、囀りのような。

[@yelling2000]

재즈 기자보고 온분 여기임 !!

[@elijahmuhammad172]

R.I.P Majesty