Closing ‘Night and Day: Big Band’ triumphantly, “Take the ‘A’ Train” makes me wish Chicago had included more big-band covers on their earlier albums.

The wordless performances on key recordings from Duke Ellington to Pink Floyd are sublime, ethereal, haunting, atmospheric, anything but ordinary.

Chicago’s terrific remake of the driving Duke Ellington favorite “Caravan” sounds both classic and very modern.

‘To Duke’ is a madly clever tribute to Duke Ellington from the Matthew Shipp Trio.

Provocative and fanciful, they bring Ellington and Strayhorn closer to us.

Featuring some of Sarah Vaughan’s last truly transcendent moments, this pair of 1980 Pablo releases devoted to the work of Duke Ellington reminds us in reissue form what wonders her voice and this material still hold. You May Also Like: Sacred and Great Gigs in the Sky: The Vocalise TraditionRead More

Van Halen fans are rightly thrilled with the news that David Lee Roth is retaking the road after Eddie Van Halen’s recent health scares. But that’s not the only band he’ll apparently be fronting in 2013. You May Also Like: How Van Halen’s Jaw-Dropping First Album Ruined My Sex LifeRead More

There are only two kinds of music. Good music and the other kind. There are several slight variations of this quote, attributed to Richard Strauss, Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong, and others. You May Also Like: Joe Jackson’s Rain underscored a complete modern-era return to form Vinnie Zummo talks jazz, revivingRead More

Joe Jackson tries to radically reinterpret many of Duke Ellington’s best-known works. Some remakes emit sparks, but all too few.

Joe Jackson has announced new concert dates in advance of his forthcoming Duke Ellington tribute album The Duke, due June 26, 2012 from Razor and Tie. We’re also streaming an advance song, “I’m Beginning to See the Light” — CLICK HERE! You May Also Like: Sacred and Great Gigs inRead More