With a small jazz scene to recruit from, and no funding in the early years, Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith has turned his country's national jazz orchestra into a world-class outfit. This Duke Ellington-dedicated recording, captured on the road, ostensibly represents the band in a more conservative, classic-repertory guise (they're just as adept at contemporary music or original material). But it's an exhilarating re-enactment of Ellington's gigs, right down to the stage setup, and a spontaneous celebration rather than a routine run-through of famous material. Smith got his players to memorise many of the parts so they could bounce off Ellington's directions without anxious glances at the map. Moreover, Smith decided to select music from Ellington's and Billy Strayhorn's canon from the 1920s to the 50s, including rarely performed works, like the latter's beautiful jazz makeovers of themes by Edvard Grieg. Trumpeters Ryan Quigley and Tom MacNiven hurl themselves into the task (especially the latter on a thrilling Concerto for Cootie); drummer Alyn Cosker drives swingers like the hard-riffing Harlem Air Shaft with implacable power; and Smith on tenor sax, with a magnificent Brian Kellock on piano, make a delicately quavery The Single Petal of a Rose one of the most memorable tracks. As befits the virtuosic boss, Smith also gets to remake Paul Gonsalves's legendary multi-chorus sax jam on Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue as the roof-raising finale. Some might ask: why add this to a collection of inimitable originals? If it wasn't a live set, I might agree – but it catches a hot contemporary band in real time, creatively interpreting in the free-spirited way only the best jazz musicians can.