Prelude to a Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

Marcela Breton of JazzTimes wrote, "Do we really need another reworking of the Ellington oeuvre? Enough already. Ellington gets nearly as much attention as John F. Kennedy, Jr... I like Bridgewater’s vocals on "Caravan" and "Bli-Blip," and Bobby Watson’s alto sax on "Midnight Indigo."[6] Mike Joyce in his review for The Washington Post commented, "Duke Ellington's music has a calming effect on jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and that's a good thing. As talented as she is, Bridgewater is fond of embarking on extended scat flights that sometimes turn strident and long-winded. Not here, though."[5] Ken Dryden of AllMusic noted, "But it is her hypnotic, chanting introduction, backed by Middle Eastern percussion and Steve Turre's conch shells, that gives this release an occasional freshness usually lacking in similar Ellington tributes."[1]

• Dee Dee Bridgewater – vocals
• Bobby Watson – alto saxophone
• Charles McPherson – alto saxophone
• Ira Coleman – bass
• Jeff Hamilton – drum
• Cyro Baptista – percussion
• Cyrus Chestnut – piano
• Steve Turre – trombone
• Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
• Hassan Hakmoun – vocals, percussion, gimbra
• John Mauceri – conductor