Duke Ellington And His Orchestra, Mahalia Jackson – Black, Brown And Beige (E/E) – LP, US 1973

Black, Brown And Beige is an LP by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra, Mahalia Jackson from 1973 released on the Columbia, Columbia Special Products label.

About this album

Black, Brown And Beige is one of Duke Ellington’s most ambitious statements, expanding jazz orchestra writing into a large-scale suite with gospel depth and historical sweep. First presented in the 1940s and issued here in a 1958 release, it brings together Ellington’s orchestra and Mahalia Jackson for a powerful encounter between big band colour and spiritual intensity. The work moves through a series of contrasting sections, including the well-known “Come Sunday” and “23rd Psalm”, and helped broaden the idea of what jazz composition could encompass. Its mix of concert-hall ambition, blues feeling and sacred expression makes it a landmark in Ellington’s catalogue.

Genre: Jazz