There are countless examples of Ellington's continued staying power in the jazz arena, and there's certainly no shortage of Ellington tributes in Latin Jazz world. Yesterday, we looked at five outstanding examples of Ellington's music interpreted through a Latin Jazz lens, based on popular pieces of the Ellington repertoire. Today, we're extending the list with five more Latin Jazz takes on Ellington's work, this time digging a little deeper into the massive book. With the ongoing impact of Ellington's music, I'll undoubtedly be finding more tracks in the future; be ready for more additions. If you've got a great Latin Jazz Ellington track that I missed, put it in the comments below, would love to keep the list going—enjoy!
“African Flower"Do It
, Poncho SanchezThe iconic version of this song finds Ellington recording in a trio setting with bassist Charles Mingus and Max Roach, creating a deep version of this song that just can not be beat. When conguero Poncho Sanchez decided to include this classic on his album Do It
, he made a wise choice—instead of trying to imitate the brilliance of Duke's work, he made an absolutely different version. Originally recorded as a slow dirge like piece with coloristic flourishes from Mingus, Sanchez quickly establishes his original version of the song with a solid and steady up-tempo 6/8 groove. The melody takes on a distinctly differently flavor as it wraps around the rhythmic structure, maintaining the integrity of the original idea while becoming more staggered. After the melody, baritone saxophonist David Urquidi jumps into the spotlight taking an assertive solo that utilizes the distinct character of the rhythm structure as much as the rich chord changes. The entrance of powerful background lines push Urquidi to another level, adding another layer of rhythmic momentum to his already forceful statement. Pianist David Torres falls into a driving montuno, setting the foundation for an engaging chekere solo from Salvador Vasquez, who alternates between the sound of shells and the gourd's deep low tones. After a return to the melody, Torres returns to his montuno and amid blaring horn lines, and Sanchez cuts loose into an enthusiastic conga solo that brings the song to a roaring finish. Sanchez respects the strength of Ellington's original recording here while putting his own spin on this song, once again giving us another classic. 
From Havana to Rio
Ellington—both the man and his music—epitomized elegance in so many ways, a fact that needs to come through in any fitting tribute to his work. Elegance can take on many forms around the world though; so when Cuban pianist Ernán López-Nussa performs the classy Ellington piece “Sophisticated Lady," he uses the most elegant Cuban rhythm possible, the danzon. López-Nussa creates a winding melodic introduction that leads directly into the heart of the song with flautist Carlos Malta placing the melody over a plodding cinquillo rhythm. The deep and airy tone of Malta's flute contrasts López-Nussa active chordal figures throughout the melody giving the song a dark yet lively feel. As the group moves past the melody, Malta falls into a pleasantly understated improvisation that grows into an attention grabbing statement with the flautist's increased rhythmic momentum. Malta finds his way through the unique nature of the groove with a classy approach, mixing the inherently percussive nature of his articulations with the beauty of the harmony. The group returns to the melody with a significantly embellished melody from Malta and dramatic chordal flourishes from López-Nussa that bring the piece to a joyful close. López-Nussa proves that there's more than one way to capture the essence of a song here, using a distinctly Cuban approach to find the soul of Ellington.
Habana Nocturna
Through several generations of master pianists, the task of performing Ellington has always required a combination of adherence to tradition and innovation. Cuban pianist Hilario Durán takes both of these tasks into consideration as he creates an unbeatable version of the lesser known Ellington piece “U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)." Durán introduces the melody in a broad unaccompanied setting, infusing it with the characteristic bluesy flair while stretching it into a dramatic flourish. A rapid run sends Durán bursting into a timba-fied montuno that introduces a rapid son montuno, ripe for improvisation. Flautist Jane Bunnett leaps at the opportunity to stretch her solo chops here, combining high energy bop-fueled lines with a keen sense of clave awareness. Bunnett mirrors the powerful drive of the rhythm section with her continued creativity, sending them charging into Durán's virtuosic statement. The pianist tears through the keys with a fiery abandon, and thick chordal patches from a string section weave in and out of the texture. As Durán brings his improvisation to a close, Bunnett joins the strings for an extended instrumental interlude that refers to the melody without falling into an exact reading. An explosive percussion break send the string players into rapid flights of melodic lines, setting up a repeated eight bar phrase that leaves space for solos from Bunnett and Duran. The two musicians alternate opportunities at improvisation, raising the heat until a blaring melodic line sends the group to an abrupt end. Durán cleverly mixes his respect for Ellington with a big dip of his own personality here, allowing us to see the master through his eyes.
Worldwide
Swing takes on many meanings in different musical contexts, but the bottom line is that any groove that feels good will swing. Ellington made this perfectly clear when he proclaimed, “It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," a message that conguero Giovanni Hidalgo takes to heart on his rousing version. Trumpet player Lew Soloff and flautist Dave Valentin wind through a twisting and turning melody over a classy danzon that leads into a sudden stop. Hidalgo fills the space with an unaccompanied conga solo, capturing the spotlight with his unflappable musicality. Hidalgo sets the stage for some screaming notes from Soloff in the upper reaches of his register, until the whole group leaps into a rowdy version of the classic melody. Soloff sends the group into the stratosphere with a ferocious forward motion, attacking his improvisation with raucous shouts in his upper register, blistering scalar runs, and sharp rhythmic attacks. Valentin follows Soloff with a continued energy, hitting each corner of the groove with percussive attacks, fluttering articulations, and solid melodic lines. An abrupt break sends the group racing into an up-tempo swing, allowing pianist Eric Figueroa to take a quick leap into bluesy ideas and solid thematic statements. A fiery montuno send the group charging back into son montuno as Hidalgo displays his ample technique and musical insight. The group flies back into swing as Soloff and Valentin move into a looping shout section that extends back to the melody for an exciting finish. There's no doubt that Hidalgo took Ellington's title to heart on this piece, leading his band through a madly swinging session.
¡Bien Bien!
A number of Ellington tunes are easily recognizable standards that even the most casual jazz fan could hum, but his catalogue of original compositions goes much deeper. Sometimes a closer investigation of Ellington's work reveals a piece that might not have world-wide appeal, but works perfectly in a Latin Jazz setting, as is the case with trombonist Wayne Wallace's version of “Going Up." Pianist Murray Low places wide open chords over drummer Paul Van Wageningen's mid-tempo son montuno while Wallace growls through an edgy solo with a wah wah mute. A thick chorus of trombones tackles the rhythmic melody with commentary from Wallace's raucous solo voice between phrases. Low eases into his improvisation with a series of clearly defined lines, building his solo into a larger thought with strong syncopated ideas. A rhythm section break introduces guest trombonist Julian Priester's solo with an added emphasis, sending him flying into high gear. Priester's mellow tone rounds the enthusiastic flair that he adds to the work with register jumps, quick lines, and soulful ideas. A quick melodic interplay between the rhythm section and the trombone section sends the group flying into a high energy exchange of ideas between Wallace and guest trombonist Dave Martell. The two trombone players push the band into a fury, push the dynamic a little higher with each traded idea. The group provides a brilliant contrast as they fall to a whisper behind a short but poignant solo from bassist David Belove. All three trombonists once again join together for a richly harmonized melodic interlude that leads the group back to the main theme and a rhythmic ending. The Ellington book holds a vast array of treasures ripe for the picking, and Wallace's research paid off here, delivering a gem of a song in the Latin Jazz setting.
