Dancing with Duke, the second album as a leader from North Carolina bassist John Brown (Nnenna Freelon), follows the thematic pattern established by his well-received initial recording — a tribute to Art Blakey. But this homage to Ellington explores more interesting territory, in that Blakey’s music has always been associated with a gripping, meat-off-the-bone groove. Ellington’s work, unfortunately, can sometimes be confused in the popular consciousness with so-called swing music. That is, these blandly homogeneous, white-suited snoozers. Instead, Brown’s trio — which includes Cyrus Chestnut on piano and the New Orleans drumming sensation Adonis Rose — come charging out on this Brown Boulevard Records release with series of thrummingly blues-filled interpretations, only stopping toward the end for a trio medley of tangy-sweet ballads. Chestnut then brilliantly references Bobby Timmons’ fonky delight “Dat Dere” as part of “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” the oh-so expected — yet, in this context, completely unexpected — closer.
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‘Half Notes’ are quick-take thoughts on music from Something Else! Reviews, presented whenever the mood strikes us.
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