This recording of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" comes from Chad Lefkowitz-Brown's Quartet Sessions, released in 2019. The Ellington classic is performed with a Latin feel at a fast tempo of approximately 232 BPM in the key of F minor, using the standard 64-bar AABA form. Lefkowitz-Brown takes the first solo on tenor saxophone, improvising over two full choruses of the extended form. His playing navigates the exotic harmonic landscape of the A sections and the contrasting bridge with fluid technique and rhythmic drive. Pianist Holger Marjamaa follows with two choruses of his own at a slightly relaxed tempo around 224 BPM, bringing a different textural approach to the same harmonic territory. The Latin feel provides a rhythmic foundation that distinguishes this version from swing-based interpretations, giving the performance a propulsive, percussion-driven energy. The 64-bar form offers substantial harmonic real estate for both soloists to develop extended musical ideas, and the AABA structure provides familiar signposts within the lengthy form. This performance captures the essence of Lefkowitz-Brown's Quartet Sessions: a thoughtful, high-energy engagement with canonical jazz repertoire, recorded with the intimacy of a studio session.
