A Great Pleasure for audience and musicians: the excellent concert on the 9th of May 1999, once again – as with all matinees of the big band – has proven the concept successful of dealing intensively with the music of an internationally renowned bandleader, working with him on developing a distinctive sound. “Good music is honest”, Bob Mintzer says. “It captivates you, is colourful like a good painting, takes you on an emotional journey, it tells a story, it has got a message, it comes from the musicians’ hearts.” This is exactly why “Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington And Bob Mintzer” by the SWR Big Band is an excellent album. 10 Tracks. Recorded at Villa Berg, Stuttgart, May 9, 1999.