Ellingtonia

This one is a double cd called Impulsively Ellington - A Tribute To Duke Ellington. On the Impulse label, hence the title, it is a compilation rather than custom recorded album, bringing together performances of pieces associated with the Ellington band ove the years. The overall feel of the record is mainstream Cotton Club era Ellington, not touching on any of his more esoteric genre ventures. The performances are mainly straight ahead too but all swing and are well worth hearing. There are a reasonable variety of artists, some like Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonsalves mainstays of Ellington's band but most with no direct connection and ranging through names like Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus, Ben Webster, Clark Terry etc. Most of the expected numbers are featured such as Cotton Tail, Caravan, Mood Indigo, Satin Doll. Some even get a second outing but strangely, nobody tackles Take the A Train. Amongst all the straight ahead swing of the disk, it is amusing that it finishes with Archie Shepp dismantling In a Sentimental Mood in a burst of free blowing before alighting beautifully on the theme. maybe an Ellington album with no Ellington is a little perverse but there is plenty here to enjoy.