A slightly more commercial effort than many previous Duke Ellington recordings, Ellington '65 is an example of how the change in popular music found jazz musicians attempting crossover material with varying degrees of success. While much of the music here is standard American Popular Song, other tracks such as Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" are clearly attempts at reaching a younger record-buying audience. While Ellington '65 isn't a bad recording, it is by no means required listening and will most likely appeal to die-hard Ellington completists.