African-American composer and bandleader Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was one of the most important figures in the world of jazz. Composer of over 1,000 works, he revolutionized the concept of the jazz ensemble. By introducing more instruments and larger forces, Ellington expanded the scope of the "big band." The range and complexity of his musical arrangements led Ellington to explore composition on a symphonic scale. With works such as The New Orleans Suite, Black, Brown, and Beige Suite, and The Suite from "The River", he broadened the parameters of jazz, edging closer to the classical idiom.

The Suite from "The River" consists of seven sections extracted from the complete ballet, which was premiered in 1971 by Alvin Ailey's dance company. Ellington successfully combines elements from the European classical music tradition (form and orchestration) with the properties associated with jazz (expanded chord structure, blues inflections, improvisatory-sounding "riffs", swing rhythms, and call and response). The result is a hybrid that has fascinated and drawn many other composers such as George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein.

The first section of the suite, Spring, awakens with a solo French Horn followed by a warm, sensuous English Horn. Expanded harmonies and colorful instrumentation create an impressionistic quality. Meander begins with a slow bluesy swing rhythm and develops into a sweeping jazz waltz followed by a return of the opening material. Giggling Rapids starts as a frothy, high-energy jazz waltz in the strings and winds, answered by unison counter-riffs in the brass (They sound like written-out jazz "licks".). Lake, lazy and languid with exotic sounding woodwind solos, has a distinctly Latin flavor (Ellington was one of the first to use Latin rhythms in American jazz.). With its relentless snare drum and Stravinskian rhythms, the next section, Vortex, sounds like a chase. Riba is straight-ahead swing with some very infectious jazz riffs. Finally, Village Virgins reflects a feeling of reverence with its hymn-like, almost gospel feel, juxtaposed with bluesy interjections.

While the genius of Duke Ellington is a given and his influence on the development of jazz as an art form cannot be overstated, one can only wonder what he could have accomplished had he dedicated more time to the symphonic genre. For those interested in the blend of jazz and classical styles, investigate the music of Gershwin, Ravel, Copland, Bernstein, and Gunther Schuller.

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