Joe Jackson pays tribute to Duke Ellington

In celebration of the release of Joe Jackson's new album The Duke, out today on Razor & Tie, Rolling Stone premiered the track for “It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Go That Swing).” Teaming up with Iggy Pop on vocals, the track challenged both legendary artists to create “something that swings like hell, but isn't actually 'swing,” according to Jackson.

In support of the album, Joe Jackson and the Bigger Band are hitting the road this September on a North American tour.

The Duke is an unconventional salute to Ellington, demonstrating the timeless brilliance of his classic compositions while showcasing Jackson's sublime skills as an arranger, instrumentalist and vocal interpreter.

Athough it's only the second time he's recorded an album not comprised of his own compositions, The Duke is a personal project for Jackson, whose longstanding affinity for Ellington's pioneering spirit has served as a key inspiration throughout his own three-decades-plus career.

The English singer/keyboardist interprets 15 Ellington classics over the course of 10 tracks, interspersing melodic and rhythmic elements of various compositions in a manner that's consistent with Ellington's own freewheeling approach.

Rather than emulating the songs' original big-band settings, Jackson filters the material through his own musical imagination while exploring an assortment of unexpected grooves and textures. The resulting album is a seamless fusion of sounds and styles, whose abundant sense of playfulness is consistent with Ellington's boundary-breaking attitude.

Guests on the album include Iggy Pop, Sharon Jones, Regina Carter, ?uestlove, Christian McBride, Steve Vai, and more.

Joe Jackson Tour Dates

09/15: Bethesda, MD - Music Centre at Strathmore
09/16: Greenville, SC – Peace Center Hall
09/18: Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
09/19: Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
09/21: New York, NY – Town Hall
09/22: New York, NY – Town Hall
09/25: Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theatre
09/27: Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theater
09/28: Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
09/29: Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
10/02: Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
10/04: Saratoga, CA – The Lilian Fontaine Garden Theatre at Montalvo
10/05: San Francisco, CA – Nob Hill Masonic Center
10/06: Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre