Nothing pleases the straight-ahead jazz fan more than a long set of well-known and obscured classics played with integrity, soul, and swing by an ensemble of tight musicians, and this fills that bill in spades. Recorded over three days at a studio in Hamburg, the trumpeter and his merry men roll hard and brassy over the feisty rhythms of
Christian Ramond (bass) and Oliver Mewes (drums) on such gems as "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and the
Lionel Hampton-
Charlie Christian classic "Haven't Named It Yet." There's lots of variety and joyful mood-swinging between the New Orleans-flavored "Four or Five Times" (with
Engelbert Wrobel's whimsical clarinet) and the lighthearted, muted trumpet-driven romance "Dreamy Mood." The recording derives its name from its inclusion of two
Duke Ellington classics, which give pianist
Chris Hopkins (who wrote the colorful liner notes) some strong moments to shine: the mysterious "Echoes of Harlem" and the perky "Drop Me off in Harlem." You'll be glad you got off the bus.