Concert in the Virgin Islands is an album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded and released on the Reprise label in 1965.A Duke Ellington Panorama accessed May 10, 2010 The album features studio recordings that Ellington with the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler composed after he and his orchestra played concerts on St. Croix and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in April, 1965. The album includes the four-part Virgin Islands Suite, as well as numbers played at the concerts on the islands.album liner notes by Stanley Dance
Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars and stated: "Although in his mid-60s, Duke Ellington proves on this program of mostly new music that he never declined nor lost his creativity."Yanow, S. [ Allmusic Review] accessed May 10, 2010
Track listing All compositions by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn except as indicated "Island Virgin" – 4:08 "Virgin Jungle" – 3:45 "Fiddler on the Diddle" – 3:13 "Jungle Kitty" – 3:00 "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" (Mercer Ellington) – 2:56 "Big Fat Alice's Blues" – 3:58 "Chelsea Bridge" (Strayhorn) – 3:46 "The Opener" – 2:50 "Mysterious Chick" – 3:15 "Barefoot Stomper" – 2:52 "Fade Up" (Jimmy Hamilton) – 3:31 Recorded at Fine Studios, New York on March 4, 1965 (tracks 7, 8 & 11), March 17, 1965 (tracks 4 & 5), and April 14, 1965 (tracks 1–3, 6, 9 & 10). Personnel Duke Ellington – piano Ray Nance, Cat Anderson, Herb Jones – trumpet Cootie Williams – trumpet (tracks 1–3 & 6–11) Howard McGhee – trumpet (tracks 4 & 5) Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper – trombone Chuck Connors – bass trombone Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone Harry Carney – baritone saxophone John Lamb – bass Sam Woodyard – drums
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