The slow blues title track was cut in 1958 with a 15-piece orchestra, but the majority of this material was recorded the following year with slightly smaller configurations. Melding the feel of a formal studio date with a loose late-night jam session, the light and nuanced Blues In Orbit finds the Duke trading licks with the likes of Ray Nance, Clark Terry and Johnny Hodges among others.

• Limited Edition
• LP 33rpm 180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl
• Mastered By Bernie Grundman 
• Cut From the Original Analog Tapes
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings, QRP USA
• Old Style Tip-On Gatefold Cover by Stoughton Printing

It's tempting for Blues in Orbit to be overlooked when Duke Ellington's best albums are discussed, but truly it's an undisputed gem. There are 11 tracks, none of them is longer than 4:50 and it is all good stuff. There are some familiar favorites such as "In a Mellotone" and "C Jam Blues" as well as less often heard gems like "Blues in Blueprint and "Sweet and Pungent." It is also in stereo, and the arrangements are superb.

The featured performers include Ellington stalwarts Johnnie Hodges, Ray Nance, Harry Carney and Jimmy Hamilton, as well as the less familiar Booty Wood and Matthew Gee. Johnnie, in particular is well showcased here, taking the lead not only in slow pieces like "Brown Penny" and "Sentimental Lady", but also in the rousing, "Smada."

The full Analogue Productions reissue treatment is at work on this smashing LP — famed mastering engineer Bernie Grundman handled the remastering from the original analog tapes. The lacquers were plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, maker of the world's finest-sounding LPs. Lastly we've stashed each super-silent 180-gram disc in a premium Stoughton Printing gatefold jacket.

All of the takes were recorded during after midnight sessions recorded over two nights starting on December 2, 1959 in New York at Columbia Records' studio on East 30th Street. Each night Duke's late dinner arrived at 2 a.m. — a sizzling steak, a pot of coffee with lemons in it, portions of American cheese, and grapefruits. After dinner, and a breather for the band, the sessions finished around dawn in a swinging fashion.

If you're just getting into jazz, this album is highly recommended as a great way to initiate your collection. The sound is incredible, with packaging to match. Another audiophile home run.

Musicians:

Duke Ellington, piano
Billy Strayhorn, piano (2,7)
Ray Nance, trumpet
Cat Anderson, trumpet
Shorty Baker, trumpet
Clark Terry, trumpet
Britt Woodman, trombone
Matthew Gee, trombone
Quentin Jackson, trombone
John Sanders, valve trombone
Johnny Hodges, alto saxophone
Russell Procope, alto saxophone, clarinet
Harry Carney, baritone saxophone
Jimmy Woode, bass
Jimmy Johnson, drums
Sam Woodyard, drums

Track Listing:

01. Three J's Blues
02. Smada
03. Pie Eye's Blues

04. Sweet And Pungent

05. C Jam Blues

06. In A Mellow Tone

07. Blues In Blueprint
08. The Swingers Get the Blues Too

09. The Swinger's Jump

10. Blues In Orbit
11. Villes Ville Is The Place, Man

Recorded February 4 & 12, 1958, February 25 1959 and December 2 & 3, 1959.

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫