A Drum Is a Woman

A Drum Is a Woman
Studio album by
Duke Ellington
Released1957
RecordedSeptember 17, 24, 25 & 28, October 23 and December 6, 1956 (1956-12-06)
GenreJazz
LabelColumbia
Duke Ellington chronology
Ellington at Newport
(1956) 		A Drum Is a Woman
(1957) 		Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
DownBeat[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]

A Drum Is a Woman is a musical allegory by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington and his long-time musical collaborator Billy Strayhorn. It tells the story of Madam Zajj, the personification of African rhythm, and Carribee Joe, who has his roots firmly in the jungle with his drums. Zajj travels out into the world seeking fame and sophistication and melds with the influences of cultures she weaves through the story, which gives a brief history of the rise of jazz and bebop.

Originally recorded for the Columbia label in 1956, it was produced for television on the US Steel hour on May 8, 1957.[5] The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with a bonus track. A stage performance was produced by Marc Stager June 24, 1988, at Symphony Space in New York City with pianist and arranger Chris Cherney leading the orchestra and Duke's son Mercer Ellington narrating.[6]

  1. ^ Down Beat: May 2, 1957 Vol. 24, No. 9
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 68. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 434. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ^ "United States Steel Hour A Drum Is a Woman".
  6. ^ Wilson, John S. (June 28, 1988). "A Drum Is a Woman review at NY Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 April 2011.