Mood Ellington is a lavishly ambitious collection from acclaimed vocalist Paul Marinaro, presenting twenty-five of Duke Ellington’s finest vocal compositions, vividly reimagined by thirteen of the world’s most celebrated arrangers—including Alan Broadbent, John Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Chuck Israels, and Chuck Owen—and performed by his Chicago quartet along with horns and a lush string section. Praised for his masterful phrasing, rich tone, and deep emotional connection to a lyric, Mariano inhabits Ellington’s masterpieces with wit and elegance, resulting in a sweeping 21st-century celebration of Ellington’s timeless artistry. While flowing as one cohesive whole, the themes of rhapsodizing on love (“I’m Just a Lucky So & So”), somber reflection (“Mood Indigo”), and tunes suggesting a little more of real life (“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”), divide the songs into three distinct thematic story arcs.