Wynton Marsalis & Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra
Vitoria Suite
Emarcy Records
www.umusic.com
By George W. Harris

If someone had made me listen to this 2 disc set as a Blindfold Test, I would have immediately guessed, “when did you find this unreleased Ellington stuff?” Wynton Marsalis, leading the JALCO, has put together an ambitious suite that mixes jazz and flamenco-styled music. With guest guitarist Paco de Lucia on “Buleria El Portalon” and a host of percussionists throughout, the music mixes Iberian passion with a foundation of Crescent City freedom and NYC swing.

The harmonies that pervade the songs on this suite evoke images of Ellingtonia circa Such Sweet Thunder, with textures and colors on “The Tree Of Freedom” and “Deep Blue” as sophisticated as anything Duke and Strays put together. One of the reasons for this has to be that Ellington alumnus Joe Temperley/bs keeps the bottom sound molasses rich, and solos on “Smooth In The Night” with palpable thickness. Sherman Irby’s alto on “Basque Song” melts like hot wax, while Ted Nash’s flute throughout adds extra exoticism to the plate. Marsalis himself is spot on, with a glistening tone on “Blood Cry” while Dan Nimmer’s piano intro to “Big 12” is Ducal in its elegance. If you want to know what Edward Kennedy Ellington’s band would sound like in the 21st century, take a gander here, and there’s no higher compliment.