Broadcast on 10-Nov-2008

One of Ellington's pivotal and innovative recordings that came out of a tour of the Middle East in cities like Baghdad, Isfahan, Damascus, Tehran, Kabul, Beirut, Calcutta, New Delhi etc. and into the far east culminating in Japan was this one called "The Far East Suite". Can you imagine an American orchestra playing in some of these cities today? Ellington and his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn absorbed some of the folk music that they heard in their travels and created these compositions that make up this modern and compelling recording, one of Ellington's finest. All the major soloists were still alive when this was recorded in December 1966. You'll hear Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Harry Carney and the master himself on piano, the one and only Edward Kennedy Ellington.