This is a tribute album that works quite well.
The Modern Jazz Quartet
is heard at their best on such
Duke Ellington
tunes as
"Rockin' in Rhythm,"
"Jack the Bear" and "Ko-Ko." Also quite noteworthy are their two newer pieces,
John Lewis
's "For Ellington" and
Milt Jackson
's "Maestro E.K.E." which perfectly capture the spirit of
Ellington
's music. The ballads sometimes get a little sleepy but on a whole this is a very enjoyable release. ~ Scott Yanow