Dr. John
Duke Elegant
review = B

Don’t be fooled. Duke Elegant is -not- a swing album. Not even close. Sure, Dr. John dusts off a dozen Duke Ellington numbers, including time tested classics like "It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)," but ironically, there’s no swing here. None. As in -zero-, daddy-o. Dr. John is much more interested in adapting Ellington’s distinctive melodies to funk and bluesy soul grooves than faithfully following the Duke’s swing tempos. The results are mixed. Old school Ellington fans will cringe at the hoodoo guru’s bass gurgling, R&B treatment of the Duke’s most beloved compositions, "Caravan," "Mood Indigo," "Don’t Get Around Anymore," and "Satin Doll" among them. Oh well. Dr. John fans won’t have that problem. In fact, it’s going to be hard for anyone who can fog a mirror and tap a toe, to -not- enjoy the night tripper’s back alley brand of bourbon on the rocks vocals splashing around the Duke’s champagne glass melodies. The mixture is potent. Call it a lowbrow highball - sort of sophisticated with plenty of kick. Musical mixology aside, there’s just way too much good stuff here to wag a finger in the good doctor’s face for funkin’ up the Duke.