Any real understanding of the place of a musician in history will inevitably show his relationship to others. In many ways that's the real point of a tribute – the celebration of one artist brings into play the sound of the others for whom he opened doors. In the case of this engrossing Ellington project the concomitant spirit writ large on proceedings is that of Sun Ra. In the ecstatic, eruptive nature of the horns, the busy, agitated yet precise character of the rhythm section and the tendency of the overall carriage of the music to lean right on the edge of its harmonic tracks, the presence of Herman ‘Sonny’ Blount, as inspired and guided by Edward Kennedy, is as clear as the whistle of a Harlem airshaft. Yet, as the title suggests, this set is about reaching to the heart of one of jazz's most visionary leaders, and it is the architectural finesse of the arrangements and the strength of the bandmembers – Jones, Jordan and Campbell are all on firing form – that hark back to the embarrassment of riches that was Hodges, Gonsalves, Anderson et al. Equally smart is the subtle, sometimes elliptical way that Parker deploys the little known vocalist Ernie Odoom, yet his fleeting lines on ‘In A Sentimental Mood’ and his potent growl on ‘Caravan’ add much to the textural palette. Above all, Parker's see-sawing yet nailed down scores make the point that the vast, pluralistic vocabulary of Ellington's music means that swing can roll seamlessly into free improvisation without the transition feeling contrived or clunky. Parker's already vast discography boasts some accomplished orchestral offerings – 2003's Mass For The Healing World is one of many discs worth checking out – and this is another highlight.