Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

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Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 8, 1996
RecordedFebruary 3 & 8 and May 6 & 7, 1996
Studio
GenreVocal jazz
Length52:13
LabelPhilips 446 717–2
ProducerRobert Sadin
Dee Dee Bridgewater chronology
Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver
(1995)
Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album
(1996)
Dear Ella
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz[3]

Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album is a studio album by American jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, recorded in tribute to Duke Ellington.[4] The album was released on October 8, 1996, by Philips Records label. The album title was borrowed from the Ellington's tune.[5] The release contais 12 tracks, which include the pop sounds of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.[1]

Reception[edit]

Marcela Breton of JazzTimes wrote, "Do we really need another reworking of the Ellington oeuvre? Enough already. Ellington gets nearly as much attention as John F. Kennedy, Jr... I like Bridgewater’s vocals on "Caravan" and "Bli-Blip," and Bobby Watson’s alto sax on "Midnight Indigo."[6] Mike Joyce in his review for The Washington Post commented, "Duke Ellington's music has a calming effect on jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and that's a good thing. As talented as she is, Bridgewater is fond of embarking on extended scat flights that sometimes turn strident and long-winded. Not here, though."[5] Ken Dryden of AllMusic noted, "But it is her hypnotic, chanting introduction, backed by Middle Eastern percussion and Steve Turre's conch shells, that gives this release an occasional freshness usually lacking in similar Ellington tributes."[1]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Midnight Indigo"Duke Ellington2:26
2."I'm Beginning to See the Light"Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James5:03
3."Bli Blip"Duke Ellington, Sid Kuller4:16
4."Fleurette Africaine"Duke Ellington3:32
5."Prelude to a Kiss"Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills3:52
6."Caravan"Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol4:29
7."Solitude"Eddie DeLange, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills4:20
8."Mood Indigo"Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills4:28
9."Night Creature: Fast"Duke Ellington4:16
10."Night Creature: Andante misterioso"Duke Ellington7:29
11."Night Creature: Moderato - Faster Swing - Moderato"Duke Ellington3:53
12."Come Sunday"Duke Ellington4:09
Total length:52:13

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Dryden, Ken. "Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album - Dee Dee Bridgewater | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin. "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". p. 734. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2004). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz. Virgin. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-85227-183-1. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. ^ Clarke, Donald; Cackett, Alan; Balmer, Paul (1998). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Penguin Books. p. 164. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b Joyce, Mike (27 June 1997). "DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER: "PRELUDE TO A KISS -- THE DUKE ELLINGTON ALBUM" / PHILLIPS". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  6. ^ Breton, Marcela (March 1, 1997). "Dee Dee Bridgewater and The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra: Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album". JazzTimes. Retrieved 14 July 2020.