10 Albums On a Deserted Island Day 5: Duke Ellington "Such Sweet Thunder"

I heard a few of these tracks when Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra came to my college. Each track is a jazz interpretation of a Shakespearean character. For my money, "Lady Mac" is my favorite, but who can listen to Johnny Hodges play "Star Crossed Lovers" and not be stung by Romeo and Juliet's tragedy?

This collection of inventive and varied tunes highlights various members of Ellington's band and shows his absolute mastery of what jazz could do.