This is a tight little quartet date led by saxophonist
Javon Jackson, celebrating the music of the
Duke. His co-conspirators on the session are arranger/pianist
David Hazeltine, drummer
Tony Reedus, and bassist
Paul Gill. The material ranges from the obvious like "Caravan," "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lotus Blossom," to selections usually not played by quartets such as "In My Solitude." The emphasis here is on the bluesier and moodier side of
Ellington's music, which works beautifully. The colors and textures a larger orchestra display may be richer, but in the quartet setting they can go deeper. It puts additional pressure on the individual players, but
Jackson and
Hazeltine as front line soloists are more than up to the challenge. The greatest proof of this lies in the ballads like "Warm Valley," and in the more lithe and slightly more up-tempo tunes like "In a Sentimental Mood." This is a fine session, and utterly lyrically beautiful all around. ~ Thom Jurek