Most on-the-road artists don’t have a lot of time or consideration to give to impromptu interviews. But Lincoln Center Jazz Band clarinetist/saxophonist Victor Goines doesn’t mind.

“Take all the time you want,” he says nonchalantly, in his thick, New Orleans accent. “I’m in no hurry.”

A regular band member since 1993, Goines has been on quite a few tours and knows ins and outs of the road schedule. As the Jazz at Lincoln Center Education consultant, the woodwind player can always find time to tell about what the band is up to.

“We’ve been doing all Duke Ellington programs throughout the year,” he says excitedly. “We did tours in the spring and this is the last tour of the year for us.”

Since last January, the band has been celebrating the Ellington Centennial with concert after concert of Ellington’s music. Last April, the band came to Stephens Auditorium with its “America in Rhythm & Tune” tour and played to a sold-out crowd.

Now, the “America in Rhythm & Tune” tour is over, and the band has moved on.

Last week, the Lincoln Center Jazz Band kicked off its 20-city “Rockin’ in Rhythm” tour, which claims the expertise of only eight regular band members, along with three distinguished guests.

Music Director Wynton Marsalis isn’t with the band on this tour, but in his place is guest director and trumpeter Nicholas Payton. Also joining the Lincoln Center jazz regulars are tenor saxophone great Joe Lovano and celebrated diva Dianne Reeves.

“They are all perfect for the job,” Goines exclaims. “Their artistic abilities make them more than suitable for the position.”

Even with a rotating repertoire and guest performers, it’s easy to think the regulars might get bored with a year-long Ellington theme. But Goines assures with a husky laugh that jazz players simply don’t get tired of Ellington music.

“You can’t get tired of him because there’s so much music,” he says. “We haven’t just been playing his popular works; we have also been playing some of his obscure works.”

Goines also points out that there is a big difference between playing the larger, big band works and the small ensemble pieces. In the small band music, players get more of a chance to solo, plus, smaller works sometimes reveal the process the composer went through when developing the larger works.

“A lot of the time, Ellington’s extended works were developed out of smaller works,” he explains. “He would start with the melody and work on the melody and develop and orchestrate it for an ensemble.”

Goines adds that the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra is composed of very unique individuals, all of whom add something different to the musical outcome of every Ellington invention.

“In the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, you have very unique personalities in the band. When you put all the musicians together that you have, you have a bunch of great musicians coming together to add to the outstanding performance of Duke Ellington,” he says slowly.

That’s a lot of talking for a man with a tight schedule.