The third volume in
Highnote Records
' excellent
Duke of Elegant
tribute series to
Duke Ellington
is much like the previous two: it features a host of artists from the label's stable playing tunes by the great jazz composer and bandleader. What's so wonderful about the series is that not only are all the performances excellent, they focus so closely on what is traditionally
Ellingtonian
that they simply come off as great jazz albums, as well. This set boasts some of the finest performance sin the series thus far with
Houston Person
's version of
"Do Nothing 'Til You Hear from Me"
; a truly nocturnal, tender, and innovative reading of
"Solitude"
by
Lucky Thompson
;
Mark Murphy
's graceful
"In a Sentimental Mood"
; and a dynamite set of harmonic inventions on
"Melancholia"
by the great
Larry Willis
in excellent balladic form. Highly recommended. ~ Thom Jurek