The Duke Plays Ellington is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...

 featuring trio sessions recorded for the Capitol

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 label in 1953. The album was rereleased with additional tracks on CD as Piano Reflections in 1989

Reception

The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow

Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...

 awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "Ellington sounds modern (especially rhythmically and in his chord voicings) and shows that he could have made a viable career out of just being a pianist".

Track listing

:All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated

1. "Who Knows?" - 2:37
2. "Retrospection" - 3:58
3. "B Sharp Blues" - 2:47
4. "Passion Flower" (Billy Strayhorn
   Billy Strayhorn
   William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
   
   ) - 3:05
5. "Dancers in Love" - 1:56
6. "Reflections in D" - 3:35
7. "Melancholia" - 3:20
8. "Prelude to a Kiss
   Prelude to a Kiss (song)
   "Prelude to a Kiss" is a 1938 song composed by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, with lyrics by Irving Gordon.In 1989, saxophonist Nelson Rangell covered the song from his self-titled album.-Notable Recordings:...
   
   " (Ellington, Irving Gordon
   Irving Gordon
   Irving Gordon was an American songwriter.-Biography:Irving Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, he studied violin, and after attending public schools in New York City, went to work in the Catskill Mountains at some of the resort hotels in the area...
   
   , Irving Mills
   Irving Mills
   Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...
   
   ) - 3:04
9. "In a Sentimental Mood
   In a Sentimental Mood
   "In a Sentimental Mood" is a jazz composition by Duke Ellington which is also performed as a song. Ellington composed the piece in 1935 and recorded it with his orchestra the same year. Lyrics were later written for the tune by Irving Mills and Manny Kurtz. According to Ellington, the song was...
   
   " (Ellington, Mills, Manny Kurtz) - 2:30
10. "Things Ain't What They Used to Be
    Things Ain't What They Used to Be
    Things Ain't What They Used to Be is a 1970 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The final album that Fitzgerald recorded on the Reprise Records label. The album was re-issued on CD with alternative artwork, in 1989...
    
    " (Mercer Ellington
    Mercer Ellington
    Mercer Kennedy Ellington was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger.Ellington was born in Washington, DC, the son of famous composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington...
    
    ) - 2:56
11. "All Too Soon" (Ellington, Carl Sigman
    Carl Sigman
    Carl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
    
    ) - 3:08
12. "Janet" - 2:15
13. "Kinda Dukish" - 2:32 Bonus track on CD reissue
14. "Montevideo" - 2:33 Bonus track on CD reissue
15. "December Blue" - 2:40 Bonus track on CD reissue
16. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
    It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
    "It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for...
    
    " - 10:17 Bonus track on CD reissue
    • Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles on April 13 (tracks 1-8), April 14 (tracks 9-12), and December 3 (tracks 13-5), 1953.

Personnel

• Duke Ellington
  Duke Ellington
  Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
  
   – piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• Wendell Marshall
  Wendell Marshall
  Wendell Marshall was an American jazz double-bassist.Marshall was Jimmy Blanton's cousin. He studied at Lincoln University, then served in the Army during World War II. Following his discharge, he played with Stuff Smith, then relocated to New York City, where he began playing with Mercer Ellington...
  
   - bass
  Double bass
  The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
  
  
• Butch Ballard
  Butch Ballard
  George Edward "Butch" Ballard was an American jazz drummer who during his long career has played with musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.-Biography:...
  
   - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
   (tracks 1-12)
• Dave Black - drums (tracks 13-15)
• Ralph Collier - congas (track 14)