Expect the unexpected: some of the lesser turned pages from Duke’s book and a somewhat rough-edged, roadhouse feeling that you might sooner associate with A Roomful of Blues than with the Ellington aggregation. Attribute the fun partly to the participation of young tenor saxophonist Carrol, who blows wonderfully hot and hairy on “Scrappy” and soft and fuzzy on “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing.” Trumpeter Barrie Lee Hall, Jr., one of the few bandmembers to have actually worked with the Duke, is a spirited partner to Carrol, and the rhythm section of Tommy James, Hassan Abdul Ashak-Kar and Sebastian Whitaker is thoroughly alive.
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