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The Ellington band was always a group of great soloists who often contributed far more than solos to Duke's music: both a set of rare and distinct tones and a fertile source of melodic ideas. A key part of Ellington's talent as a composer was his ability to write for those special sounds and to turn those melodies into full-fledged compositions. One way Ellington held the band together was by providing outlets for remarkable and sometimes independent-minded musicians, arranging and recording small-group features with trumpeters Cootie Williams and Rex Stewart, trombonists Juan Tizol and Lawrence Brown, clarinetist Barney Bigard, and the matchless, creamy sound of Johnny Hodges's alto saxophone. These 1934-38 recordings offer plenty of room for them to express themselves and are among the masterpieces of small-group swing. The Duke's Men, Volume 2 offers cuts from '38 and '39. --Stuart Broomer