On the second of three quartet recordings (with bassist Jamil Nasser, drummer Idris Muhammad and percussionist Eric Asante) recorded on three consecutive days, pianist Randy Weston plays six Duke Ellington compositions. Other than "Caravan" and "C Jam Blues," the tunes are rarely performed ("Limbo Jazz" and "Chromatic Love Affair" are far from s...

On the second of three quartet recordings (with bassist Jamil Nasser, drummer Idris Muhammad and percussionist Eric Asante) recorded on three consecutive days, pianist Randy Weston plays six Duke Ellington compositions. Other than "Caravan" and "C Jam Blues," the tunes are rarely performed ("Limbo Jazz" and "Chromatic Love Affair" are far from standards), allowing Weston to construct inventive improvisations that do not borrow from the original recordings; even "Caravan" sounds fresh. All three of these releases (the others are a set of originals and a program of Thelonious Monk tunes) are easily recommended to Randy Weston's fans. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi