Togo Brava Suite Explained

Togo Brava Suite is an album by the American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington. It was recorded in England and released by United Artists Records in 1971.^[1] The album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1972.^[2] The album was later reissued on CD by Blue Note in 1994, and studio recordings of the complete "Togo Brava Suite" were released in 2001 by Storyville.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "By the time of these concerts from England, the Duke Ellington Orchestra had suffered quite a few losses of veteran personnel... However, the band was still a major force, and this set has plenty of highpoints".^[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Duke Ellington except where noted.

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

• Recorded at the Birmingham Theatre in Birmingham, England on October 24, 1971 except for tracks 1 & 7 which were recorded at Colston Hall in Bristol, England on October 22, 1971.

Personnel

• Duke Ellington – piano
• Johnny Coles, Mercer Ellington, Money Johnson, Cootie Williams – trumpet
• Malcolm Taylor, Booty Wood – trombone
• Chuck Connors – bass trombone
• Jimmy Hamilton, Harold Ashby – tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Norris Turney – alto saxophone
• Harold Minerve, Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
• Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
• Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
• Wild Bill Davis – organ
• Joe Benjamin – double bass
• Rufus "Speedy" Jones – drums

Notes and References

1. http://www.depanorama.net/index.htm A Duke Ellington Panorama
2. http://theenvelope.latimes.com/factsheets/awardsdb/env-awards-db-search,0,7169155.htmlstory?searchtype=all&query=Duke+Ellington&x=8&y=6 Grammy Awards Database
3. Yanow, S. [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r151388|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic Review] accessed May 7, 2010