Three Mid-Fifties Classic Albums: Duke Ellington Presents... (1956)/ Ellington '55 / Historically Speaking Duke

Albums uit de tijd dat Ellington onder contract stond bij Capitol Records. "Capitol did not allow Ellington to do much more than pop-oriented singles and recover old ground. That may be true, and the original marketing campaign behind this album ("Old tunes, new treatments for your listening and dancing pleasure") only seemed to back up this perception. There were no recordings of experimental, long-form pieces, which Columbia had occasionally allowed, but Ellington's pop numbers were extended out to five and six minutes each, to allow for multiple solos. It's hard to complain about the recording though." (Allmusic over "Ellington '55" - een tekst die ook toepasbaar is op de twee andere albums op deze compilatie) Een bonus wordt gevormd door liefst 13 tracks uit 1953.