Since releasing his 2013 debut Without a Song, Paul Marinaro has risen to become one of the most acclaimed male vocalists in jazz, earning national recognition and praise such as Scott Yanow’s declaration that he now stands “among the top five male jazz singers active today.” With a warm, expressive baritone and an instinct for intelligent storytelling, Marinaro has built an impressive discography—including One Night in Chicago (2015), Not Quite Yet (2022), and The Bowie Project (2023). Now he returns with his most ambitious project yet: MOOD ELLINGTON, a 25-track double album devoted to the timeless music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
Rather than offering a single arranger’s perspective, Marinaro approached this tribute with a bold conceptual twist: he invited 13 arrangers—each with a distinct musical voice—to reinterpret Ellington and Strayhorn’s works through their own stylistic lenses. “Given the sophistication of Ellington’s melodies and his unique harmonic language,” Marinaro explains, “I wanted various arrangers to bring their own voices to this material. Their different styles needed to be noticed and integral to the album’s overall shape.”
The result is a richly textured portrait of Ellingtonia, unified by Marinaro’s nuanced phrasing and warm timbre yet varied in color, mood, and feel. The album is organized into three thematic sets: the first celebrating love and beauty; the second exploring darker, introspective terrain; and the third offering more mature, sardonic, and exotic perspectives. Together they form a panoramic survey of Ellington and Strayhorn’s emotional universe.
The roster of arrangers reads like a cross-section of jazz’s most respected creative minds. John Kornegay delivers both playful uplift on “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and an elegant hush on “In a Sentimental Mood.” Two-time Grammy-winner Alan Broadbent shapes Strayhorn gems “(I Want) Something to Live For” and “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing.” John Clayton contributes a distinctive shuffle to “I’m Just a Lucky So and So” and a striking reimagining of “Azure.” Carey Deadman offers suave, polished takes on “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dream” and “Love You Madly,” while Chuck Israels, Mike Downes, Ryan Cohan, Jim Gailloreto, Bill Cunliffe, Chuck Owen, Tom Garling, Tom Matta, and longtime collaborator Mike Allemana each leave their imprint across the album’s sweeping program.
The musicians, many of Chicago’s finest, animate the arrangements with personality and mastery: Tom Vaitsas (piano), Mike Allemana (guitar), John Tate (bass), Neil Hemphill (drums), Rich Moore (alto sax, clarinet, flute), John Wojciechowski (tenor & soprano sax, flute), Ted Hogarth (baritone sax, bass clarinet), Eric Jacobson (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Raphael Crawford (trombone). A 12-piece violin section adds lushness and depth. Marinaro encouraged every player to honor the essence of Ellington while contributing their individual voices, resulting in performances that feel both reverent and alive.
Marinaro’s artistry—marked by lyrical intelligence, emotional insight, and a deep relationship to text—has made him a sought-after vocalist, selling out Chicago’s iconic venues and earning praise from critics such as Howard Reich, who called his voice “one of the most beautiful vocal instruments in the business today.” MOOD ELLINGTON stands as a rewarding new entry into the long lineage of Ellington and Strayhorn interpretations, distinguished by its breadth, its craftsmanship, and Marinaro’s unmistakable presence at its core.
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