I have listended to jazz for years, but I never really understood it until I watched Ken Burns' documentary (whcih is a must see). In the documentary, Burns would rave about how Ellington stood apart from everyone else for his genius. I never really "got" Ellington's genius until I got this collection. When you listent to these recordings one after the other, you realize how complex the arrangements are, and what an amazing group of musicians played for Duke. When I told a friend I was getting this collection he asked why I don't get a newer version of these tunes by another band, or get some higher quality recordings done by Ellington himself in later years. I responded that that's kind of like getting early Beatles songs done by a cover band, or Beatles songs done by MacCartney and Wings. These recordings are special. Ellington and his band were in their prime, and these recordings changed music. A review below complains about the quality of the recordings. There is some noticable hiss on some of the softer recordings (less than 5). That said, the quality of the remastered audio is rather astounding given that these recordings are 70 years old.

AMERICAN Musical Genius ...... The Greatest of them all ... This JAZZ GIANT was the quintessential ambassador of Black American Cool ..... He led, and mear mortals could never stand in this mans way. His music is so timeless ... its like fine wine or brandy or scotch .. It just gets better with age. This is a great place to start if you are new to Jazz ..... Because if your an old jazz cat or dawg ... There is a good chance you already own a 33/cassette/CD of this Classic LP. Maybe its time to update your old standards .... Thats the case fer me.... However you geaux about it ... Sir Duke Ellington needs a place in everyone collection... Everyone with good taste ..... All hail the King ... aka.. THE DUKE !

These selections are widely recognized as among the most important recordings in the history of jazz, and rightly so. Included are the definitive versions of many of Ellington's (and his associates') most inspired compositions, performed by one of the greatest bands ever assembled. The musicianship is superb throughout, with absolutely stunning solo and ensemble work on track after track, particularly on the instrumental selections that make up the bulk of the set. To my ears, the sound quality is astonishingly good. I've been listening to this material on various other compilations (Bluebird's "Blanton-Webster Band," the relevant volumes in the Melodie Jazz Classic label's "Chronological Classics" series, an RCA "Jazz Tribune" set, etc.) for years, and I'm amazed at how much better this issue sounds than any of those. It's true that there's a bit of surface noise, but as one other reviewer has already noted, the problem with noise reduction is that when it's used to excess (as on the Bluebird set, for example), it strips away a lot of the music along with the noise. Here, where the remastering has been done much more judiciously, the improved clarity, detail, presence, and tonal range more than compensate for the slight increase in extraneous background noise. The result is, to my ears, a stunning improvement in overall sound quality -- though to get the full benefit, you'll of course have to spring for the CD version. This is an extremely well-produced reissue that belongs in the collection of anyone with an interest in Ellington, or in big-band jazz in general.

This remastering allowed me to hear what all of the fuss over bassist Jimmie Blanton was about. It is a perfect set to get to hear the Duke at the height of his powers. It is great for building a knowledge of many Ellington numbers that went on to be interpretted as jazz standards.

I'm a youngin' and I recognize good music. I was in 4th or 5th grade when I learned about Duke Ellington. Then, I couldn't appreciate music without words, now I love it. This 3 cd collection is an excellent addition to any iPod! Great for housecleaning and studying too!