And His Mother Called Him Bill

This 1967 tribute to Duke's right-hand man and "Take the 'A' Train" composer Billy Strayhorn is one of the Ellington band's truest late-period masterpieces. Blowing out the back doors with their tears, the group rumbles through the likes of "Blood Count" and "Day-dream," with their leader also contributing an immensely touching solo-piano version of "Lotus Blossom." --Rickey Wright