Duke ellington rarely recorded music beyond his own works or those of his co leader, billy strayhorn. This release presents one of the very few exceptions duke’s arrangement of the richard and robert sherman score for the film mary poppins. While one would expect that an album released on the crest of the bossa nova craze would consist of a compilation of brazilian classics, ellington’s afro bossa also presented here in its entirety, consists entirely of compositions by duke and billy strayhorn, and is a highly personal album. Two ellington arrangements of movie hits, “hello dolly!” and “moon river”, have been added as a bonus.   plays mary poppins a spoonful of sugarchim chim cher eefeed the birds tuppence a baglet's go fly a kitestay awakei love to laughjolly holidaysister suffragettethe perfect nannystep in timethe life i leadsupercalifragillisticexpialidocious   afro bossa afro bossapurple gazelleabsinthemoonbowsempre amorecaline silk lacetigressanguvoluptebongapyramidthe eight veil bonus trackshello dollymoon river