In review---Swing You Madly
Duke Ellington Legacy With Houston Person Single Petal of a Rose Renma Recordings Virginia Mayhew Quartet With Wycliffe Gordon Mary Lou Williams--The Next 100 Years Renma Recordings I didn’t grow up listening to Duke Ellington, but I heard it playing in the background of my childhood. In 2008, I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Edward Ellington, Jr. for a regional arts publication. And I also witnessed the legacy band in concert--an enjoyable evening. While Billy Strayhorn’s A-Train doesn’t appear on Duke Ellington Legacy’s Single Petal of a Rose , Lush Life (Strayhorn), Squeeze Me (Ellington), and In My Solitude (Ellington) float off this recording, bringing both nostalgic sheen and revitalized interpretations. While no musician, not even family, could ever recreate Duke Ellington, the composer-bandleader’s elegance shines in these modern interpretations. The ballads Lush Life and In My Solit...