DUKE ELLINGTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA Ellington Indigos (2023 limited edition 8-track stereo LP newly remastered from the same analog tapes used for the 2012 Impex Records release by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, pressed at RTI on 180-gram audiophile quality vinyl at 33RPM. Duke Ellington and his all-star ensemble lay back on this beautiful 1958 set of swinging, romantic ballads, and the all-analog mastering brings out a nocturnal mood while keeping things warm and mellow.A deep and wide soundstage, mellifluous lows, and crystalline highs make Indigos a perfect accompaniment to your late-night listening. High quality tip-on jacket picture sleeve, with clear resealable outer & gold elliptical IMPEX sticker. Recommended)

Next to Kind of Blue, Ellington’s Indigos may be the biggest jazz audiophile chestnut, an LP every record collector worth his or her salt has made a top priority of bagging. It’s a recording made by Columbia in 1958 at the height of its recording prowess, and the fabulous sound achieved in this recording is among the very best things Columbia ever recorded. Ellington was being “rediscovered” in the 1950s and while some may carp that he wasn’t up to his earlier standards, the sessions he recorded for Columbia are still among recorded music’s highest achievements.

The arrangements and song selection on this album are out of this world. Paul Gonsalves’ solo on “Where or When” is one of the most beautiful recordings he ever made. This reissue by Impex was mastered by Kevin Gray. The highs have not disappeared from the tapes–cymbals retain their shimmer and the upper registers of the piano have not suffered from tape degradation. Indeed, in the high frequencies the Impex has more information than my original pressing. Improvements can also be noted in the middle registers, where the instruments have a slightly fuller, more textured sound than on the already fine original. This is ear and soul candy wrapped in a tidy package.

Side A

1. Solitude
2. Where or When
3. Mood Indigo
4. Autumn Leaves

Side B

1. Prelude to a Kiss
2. Willow Weep for Me
3. Tenderly
4. Dancing In the Dark