The Great Summit

The Great Summit: The Master Takes
Studio album by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong
Released	1961
Recorded	April 3–4, 1961
Studio	RCA Victor Studio One (New York City)
Genre	Jazz
Length	1:07:23
Label	Roulette (Blue Note)
Producer	Bob Thiele
Duke Ellington chronology
Piano in the Foreground (1961) The Great Summit: The Master Takes (1961) Paris Blues (1961)
Louis Armstrong chronology
A Rare Batch of Satch (1961) The Great Summit: The Master Takes (1961) I Love Jazz (1962)
Together for the First Time
Original album cover.
The Great Reunion
Original album cover.

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Allmusic

The Great Summit: The Master Takes is a 2001 Blue Note album by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. It is a reissue of the two Roulette albums Together For The First Time (track 1–10) and The Great Reunion (track 11–17) from 1961. (These two albums have later resurfaced as a Roulette double-LP entitled The Duke Ellington/Louis Armstrong Years and in 1990 as a remastered CD called Together for the First Time/The Great Reunion.)

The contents of this album is an all-Ellington program performed by himself and Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars. These 17 selections are the entire result of the only studio meeting by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. They both lead a small band - Louis Armstrong's All Stars - and play classic compositions by Ellington such as "Mood Indigo" and "Black And Tan Fantasy".

The Great Summit: The Master Takes

All songs composed by Duke Ellington (except where otherwise stated).

1. Duke's Place — 5:03
     Lyrics by William Katz, Bob Thiele and Ruth Roberts.
2. I'm Just a Lucky So and So — 3:09
     Lyrics by Mack David.
3. Cottontail — 3:42
4. Mood Indigo — 3:57
     Co-composer is Barney Bigard with lyrics by Irving Mills.
5. Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me — 2:38
     Lyrics by Bob Russell.
6. The Beautiful American — 3:08
7. Black and Tan Fantasy — 3:59
     Co-composer is James "Bubber" Miley.
8. Drop Me Off in Harlem — 3:49
     Lyrics by Nick Kenny.
9. The Mooche — 3:38
     Lyrics by Irving Mills.
10. In a Mellow Tone — 3:48
      Lyrics by Milt Gabler.
11. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) — 3:58
      Lyrics by Irving Mills.
12. Solitude — 4:55
      Lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills.
13. Don't Get Around Much Anymore — 3:31
      Lyrics by Bob Russell.
14. I'm Beginning to See the Light — 3:37
      Co-composers are Don George, Johnny Hodges and Harry James.
15. Just Squeeze Me — 3:58
      Lyrics by Lee Gaines.
16. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) — 5:31
      Co-composer is Paul Francis Webster.
17. Azalea — 5:02

The Making of the Great Summit

On August 1, 2000 Blue Note released the compilation The Great Summit: The Complete Sessions, which contained the reissue above plus a second CD with alternate takes (rehearsals, false starts etc.). The alternate takes were digitally remastered in 2000.

1. In a Mellow Tone — 4:15
2. I'm Beginning to See the Light — 6:56
3. Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me — 5:42
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore — 10:43
5. Duke's Place — 4:18
6. Drop Me Off in Harlem — 4:57
7. I'm Just a Lucky So and So — 4:37
8. Azalea — 8:05
9. Black and Tan Fantasy — 7:13
10. Band Discussion on Cottontail — 1:08

Personnel

• Duke Ellington (piano)
• Louis Armstrong (trumpet, vocals)
• Barney Bigard (clarinet)
• Danny Barcelona (drums)
• Mort Herbert (bass)
• Trummy Young (trombone)

Credits

• Bob Thiele (producer)
• Ray Hall (recording engineer)
• Arnold Meyers (cover photograph))
• Michael Cuscuna (reissue producer)
• Ron McMaster (remix and remaster)