My review of Mark Lockheart's Ellington in Anticipation, today at All About Jazz.

Lockheart, an alum of the groundbreaking large ensemble '80s collective Loose Tubes (thankfully documented recently in an ongoing series of live recordings including Sad Afrika), has been on a roll since he released Moving Air in 2005, and Ellington in Anticipation continues the winning streak.

An Ellington tribute, yes, but far from conventional, as Lockheart - working with, amongst others, fellow Polar Bears Seb Rochford (drums) and Tom Herbert (bass), alongside altoist/flautist Finn Peters, clarinetist James Allsopp and pianist Liam Noble - twists, turns and skews some of Ellington's more well-known tunes (either written by the Duke or long associated with him), as well as delivering a handful of originals. The result is an album that, while not stylistically similar, is conceptually in the same ballpark as trumpeter Dave Douglas' mid-to-late '90s tributes to Booker Little (In Our Lifetime, Wayne Shorter (Stargazer and Mary Lou Williams (Soul on Soul) and comes equally recommended.

Review here.