''Black, Brown and Beige'' is a 1958 jazz album by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, featuring

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...

. The album is a recording of a revised version of Ellington's ''

Black, Brown and Beige ''Black, Brown and Beige'' is an extended jazz work written by Duke Ellington for his first concert at Carnegie Hall, on January 23, 1943. It tells the history of African Americans and was the composer's daring attempt to transform attitudes abo ...

'' suite. After a disappointing critical response to its first performance in 1943, Ellington divided the three-part suite into six shorter sections, leaving in "

Come Sunday "Come Sunday" is a piece by Duke Ellington, which became a jazz standard. It was written in 1942 as a part of the first movement of a suite entitled ''Black, Brown and Beige''. Ellington was engaged for a performance at Carnegie Hall on Januar ...

" and "Work Song", and it is this version that is recorded here.

Track listing

All tracks by Duke Ellington #"Part I" – 8:17 #"Part II" – 6:14 #"Part III" (a.k.a. Light) – 6:26 #"Part IV" (a.k.a.

) – 7:58 #"Part V" (a.k.a. Come Sunday) – 3:46 #"Part VI" (23rd Psalm) – 3:01 #:''Bonus tracks on re-releases'' #"Track 360" (a.k.a. Trains) (alternative take) – 2:02 #"Blues in Orbit" (a.k.a. Tender) (alternative take) – 2:36 #"Part I" (alternative take) – 6:49 #"Part II" (alternative take) – 6:38 #"Part III" (alternative take) – 3:08 #"Part IV" (alternative take) – 2:23 #"Part V" (alternative take) – 5:51 #"Part VI" (alternative take) – 1:59 #"Studio conversation" (Mahalia Swears) – 0:07 #"Come Sunday" (''a cappella'') – 5:47 #"(Pause track)" – 0:06

Personnel

* Duke Ellington –

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

* Cat Anderson,

Shorty Baker Harold "Shorty" Baker (May 26, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, US – November 8, 1966) was an American jazz trumpeter. Baker began on drums, but switched to trumpet during his teens. He started his career on riverboats and played with Don Redman i ...

, Clark Terry –

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

Ray Nance Ray Willis Nance (December 10, 1913 – January 28, 1976) was an American jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer. He is best remembered for his long association with Duke Ellington and his orchestra. Early years Nance was the leader of his ow ...

– trumpet &

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

* Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman –

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

* John Sanders –

valve trombone A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

Jimmy Hamilton Jimmy Hamilton (May 25, 1917 – September 20, 1994) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Biography Hamilton was born in Dillon, South Carolina, United States, and grew up in ...

– clarinet * Bill Graham – alto saxophone ''(subbing for

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

)'' *

Russell Procope Russell Keith Procope (August 11, 1908 – January 21, 1981) was an American clarinetist and alto saxophonist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Before Ellington Procope was born in New York City, United States, and grew up in ...

– clarinet & alto saxophone * Paul Gonsalves –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

* Harry Carney – baritone saxophone *

Jimmy Woode James Bryant Woode (September 23, 1926 – April 23, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. He played and/or recorded in bands with Flip Phillips, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Nat Pierce, Sidney ...

– bass *

Sam Woodyard Sam Woodyard (January 7, 1925 – September 20, 1988) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. Woodyard was largely an autodidact on drums and played locally in the Newark, New Jersey area in the 1940 ...

– drums *

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Brown And Beige (Album) 1958 albums Big band albums Swing albums Duke Ellington albums Mahalia Jackson albums Columbia Records albums Albums produced by Irving Townsend