Any Ellington is good Ellington, but The Intimate Duke Ellington is on a higher level entirely: over an hour of the Duke playing solo and with a trio in one program, and with an octet in the second. The first of the two sets (both black and white, both recorded in Copenhagen in 1967) finds him exploring lesser known material like the tranquil "Meditation" and the minor blues "On the Fringe of the Jungle" (with an astonishing Rufus Jones drum solo); set two brings on the brilliant saxophonists Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges, trumpeter Cat Anderson, and other Ellington stalwarts for "Sophisticated Lady" and more. It is all sublime (just try not to be moved by Hodges's playing on "Passion Flower"). Indeed, in troubled times or any times, Duke Ellington's music is a tribute to humankind's better angels. This DVD is a must have for Ellington fans, and for lovers of music. --Sam Graham