Hawk had long wanted to record with Duke but it took 20 years to accomplish. Duke was supposed to have an array of new pieces for Hawk to play, but in the event, the master procrastinator had only a single sketch and needed copyist Tom Whaley to turn it into anything substantial. Even so, Hawk had a ball as did the Duke's men, especially Hodges. This is immediately evident on the infectious ‘Limbo Jazz’, a studio construction, Nance's pungent cornet presaging Brown's ribald trombone and Hawk's imperious entrance. ‘Mood Indigo’ always works, Hawk singing through his horn, relaxed and eloquent, his biographer John Chilton calling it ‘one of his finest recorded moments of the 1960s’. ‘Ray Charles Place’ hits the right spot, as does ‘You Dirty Dog’ with Hodges supreme, as he is on a very rapid ‘The Jeep Is Jumpin'’, although Nance appears to struggle while Carney is brief and to the point. ‘Self-Portrait of the Bean’, the aforementioned last-minute inspiration, features Hawk in emotional mood throughout, his tone lighter than in his heyday, with a yielding quality and the kind of poise that only a master can evince. Later tracks feature a smaller group with Nance on violin alongside Hawk, their version of ‘Solitude’ another standout. This being one of the Andorra labels, there's a typical bonus ration of five more Hawkins tracks with sundry swing-men, among them a stirring version of ‘Satin Doll’ with Roy Eldridge, lasting over 11 minutes and ‘Perdido’ with Stewart showing off the splendid Hopkins, Bauer, Shaw and Cole rhythm section. Historic said the pundits at the time, and they were right. Get this one now.