JOE JACKSON – THE DUKE

Since his late 70s hit Is She really Going Out With Him?, Joe Jackson has been keen to prove he’s one of the most eclectic adult-contempo artists, dabbling in genres with mixed results. On The Duke, he is reworking tracks originally by jazz great Duke Ellington- and rework them he certainly does. While opening track Isfahan (featuring Steve Vai) wouldn’t be out of place in an 80s hotel elevator, closing track Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) sees Jackson and guest Iggy Pop get silly on too many synthesisers. The body of songs is equally all-over-the-place in sound and reference, presumably because Jackson was simply having a great time. But considering the musical talent of his guests, who also include Questlove (of the Roots) and Iranian singer Sussan Deyhim, some simplicity would have gone far. After all, timelessness is the Duke’s appeal. Album highlights I Got Nothing but the Blues (featuring Sharon Jones) and Mood Indigo are powerful and stripped down, while still separating themselves from their originals. A fine balance; not fully achieved on the whole. **1/2

Written by Jerico Mandybur