The past few months have seen the release of some surprising fresh takes on the Ellington legacy — notably guitarist Dom Minasi’s Takin’ the Duke Out and now Bill Ware’s Sir Duke. Vibes player Ware and guitarist Marc Ribot team up for a series of duets around the musical themes of Ellington-associated classics. There’s a "C Jam Blues" full of dancing melodies, an "In a Sentimental Mood" that uses the amplified sustain of the instruments to enrich its slow harmonies, and a giddy "It Don’t Mean a Thing." They lead "Caravan" to a surprisingly dark place, with Ribot incorporating some of his trademark dissonances and quirky melodic departures on an album where he often plays things straight. And they take the curves even when they’re following Ellington’s tracks, especially in "Take the ‘A’ Train," where the head gets deconstructed into something more like a rattling freight yard than a sleek express run. But the duo never sacrifice the beauty of Ellington’s work, thanks to their unfailingly exquisite tones, so "Sophisticated Lady" and "Mood Indigo" are no less appealing or soulful for their creative ruminations. All of which makes this a smart and pleasing session.