Black Beauty by Duke Ellington

Six months after recording it with his orchestra, Duke Ellington recorded this solo piano version of his lyrical, plaintive tune, Black Beauty, a solo sprinkled with delicious bluesy clusters and chromatic harmonies.

The introduction, with its freely-played consecutive 4ths over 13th chords, the wide use of chromatically sliding 9th chords, and a complete whole-tone scale played over an F7 chord shows Ellington's harmonically inventive bent.

Climaxing in a dramatic series of chromatic 7th chords and cascading arpeggios, the piece ends as it begins with the poignant tune fading away gently.

These are the notes as best as I can get but always refer to the original recording as the ultimate performance reference as there is so much more than just the notes!

Here is the original version:

https://youtu.be/J3M1f4qORxs?si=vRacCgvVa7CDyTPS

#dukeellington #blackbeauty #jazzpianotranscription

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