Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Duke Ellington's Liberian Suite

Duke Ellington And His Orchestra recorded the Liberian Suite for Columbia on 24 December, 1947 in New York City (not 24 April as one submission has it) with a 19-piece band, and vocals by Al Hibbler overdubbed on "I Like The Sunrise." The work was commissioned to Ellington by the Liberian government upon the centennial celebration in 1947. The suite consists of an introduction and five dances, meant to "represent the spirit motivating the foundation of the republic" (liner notes). Released as a 10" LP in 1949 (CL 6073), it was reissued in 1956 on 12" (CL 848) together with a new work, the 14-minute "A Tone Parallel To Harlem" - more familiarly known as "The Harlem Suite" or just "Harlem" - occupying the entire B side, and recorded in New York, 7 December 1951. The Liberian Suite was reissued in Europe on CD in the 80s, but is more easily available now, together with The Harlem Suite, on the 2004 compilation CD [r4003813].