Golden Feather

 

Steve Allen, Gene Krupa, Leonard Feather, Sammy Davis Jr., and Duke Ellington", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_201.html

Down the rabbit hole of the Internet the other day, via UK Jazz News and Ethan Iverson's Substack, Transitional Technology, I chanced upon The Leonard Feather Collection, housed at the University of Idaho.

There is much of interest to be found for Ellington aficionados. The search page for Ellington may be found here.

Of particular interest is an interview with Duke that Feather conducted, including discussion of the Encyclopaedia of Jazz and Ellington's participation in one of the famous "blindfold" tests. This may be accessed here.

Below is a collection of Ellington-related photographs from the Feather collection...

 Duke Ellington", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_511.html

Duke Ellington with an unidentified vocalist woman", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_512.html

Duke Ellington, Leonard Feather, Nat "King" Cole, and Johnny Hodges", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_212.html

Leonard Feather at the piano, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and others", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_196.html

Steve Allen, Gene Krupa, Leonard Feather, Sammy Davis Jr., and Duke Ellington", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_201.html

Unknown couple sitting at table", Leonard Feather Collection, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.ijc.uidaho.edu/feather_leonard/items/ijc_leonard_feather_304.html

Launching Pad

 

Very exciting news as we are pleased to announce that the Tony Faulkner Archive of Ellington/ Strayhorn transcriptions has been received by Birmingham City University where the collection will be housed as part of the Duke Ellington Society UK Archive.

Pictured is Dr Pedro Cravinho, Senior Research Fellow in Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and the Academic Lead for the Arts, Design & Media Archive at Birmingham City University. Dr Cravinho was a key person in ensuring the Faulkner Archive came to Birmingham City University.

Tony Faulkner is a highly regarded composer, drummer, arranger and educator. He  enjoyed a long career as a Jazz educator, principally as a tutor at the Leeds College of Music, and has helped many of the finest British Jazz musicians of the last 35 years hone their compositional, performance and ensemble skills.

When Tony retired from Leeds College of Music, he graciously donated his considerable library of manuscripts, arrangements and transcriptions to the Duke Ellington Society UK. The library was entrusted to DESUK member Mike Fletcher who runs the Kinda Dukish big band in Birmingham. Mike curated the collection for a number of years, tracing missing parts and putting the papers into good order. Earlier this year with the help of his son, Mike Jr., the Faulkner Collection came to BCU where it will now be housed permanently and will, we hope, eventually be available for study and performance. The DESUK Archive at BCU already contains Tony's library of books on Ellington and Strayhorn which he donated generously some years ago.

The scope of musical charts contained within the collection is nothing less than astonishing. Among the many highlights is a complete score for A Drum Is A Woman, the Shakespearean suite, Such Sweet Thunder, Suite Thursday, The Controversial Suite and titles such as Smada, Blue Skies, Sepia Panorama,  Primping at the Prom, Rose of the Rio Grande,  B.P. (Black Power), Hello Dolly, Fly Me to the Moon, Frustration,  Progressive Gavotte,  Transblucency, The Big Drag, Miss Lucy, Hit Me with a Hot Note, Kissing Bug, I Fell and Broke My Heart, I Got it Bad and that Ain't Good (Wild Bill Davis score) and the list goes on...

Many thanks to Dr Pedro Cravinho, Mike Fletcher, Mike Fletcher Jr and, of course, Tony Faulkner himself for the safe keeping, curating and creating this superb collection which will be a priceless legacy for admirers of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn for years to come.

Here's To Veterans

Pianist Duke Ellington hosts this episode of Here's to Veterans. In between pre-recorded music, Ellington gives tips on how to properly write to the VA about benefits such as providing a C number.

Duke Ellington performs the following songs:

Three Little Words
Satin Doll
Flamingo

[Broadcast on July 30th, 1953?]

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

Here is a label from another Here's To Veterans programme we have yet to trace...

Live: April 2025

 It is advisable to book any event listed here in advance when possible and check with the promoter/ organiser to ensure any performance is going ahead as planned before travelling.

Sunday, 6 April 2025, 14:00 (CET)

Ciné Rencontre, 23, rue Alsace Lorraine, 42130 Boën-sur-Lignon, France. 

Une Poule Sur Un Piano

Une poule sur un piano

AU CINÉMA L'ENTRACT À BOËN

Qu’est venu faire Duke Ellington en 1966 au beau milieu du Forez ? Pourquoi a-t-il été autant marqué par le château de Goutelas et par ceux et celles qui l’ont reconstruit ? "Une poule sur un piano" est un film documentaire citoyen riche de bon sens et d'humanisme qui raconte l'histoire d'hommes et femmes de tous horizons unis pour un même idéal.

Avant le concert Goutelas Suite par le big band du CRR de Saint-Étienne, à 16h30 au Château de Goutelas (sur réservation), rendez-vous au cinéma L'Entract pour la projection du film, suivie d'un échange en présence de Laurent Lukic, réalisateur du film.

(AT THE L'ENTRACT CINEMA IN BOËN

What was Duke Ellington doing in 1966 in the heart of the Forez region? Why was he so influenced by the Château de Goutelas and those who rebuilt it? "A Chicken on a Piano" is a civic-minded documentary film full of common sense and humanism that tells the story of men and women from all walks of life united by a common ideal.

Before the Goutelas Suite concert by the big band of the CRR de Saint-Étienne, at 4:30 p.m. at the Château de Goutelas (reservation required), join us at the L'Entract cinema for a screening of the film, followed by a discussion with Laurent Lukic, the film's director.)

Details here.

Sunday, 6 April, 16:30

Chateau de Goutelas 277 Goutelas, 42130 Marcoux, France

COMPLET – Goutelas’Suite

BIG BAND JAZZ DU CRR DE SAINT-ÉTIENNE

 Le concert est COMPLET. Merci pour votre compréhension !

En février 1966, le pianiste de jazz américain Duke Ellington séjourne à Goutelas alors en pleine reconstruction. Durablement marqué par son passage et ses rencontres, il compose quelques années plus tard une Goutelas Suite. Cinquante ans après sa mort, place au big band du conservatoire de Saint-Étienne pour mettre à l’honneur cette œuvre exceptionnelle.

Contrairement à l'information figurant dans le dépliant 2024-2025, le concert aura bien lieu à 16h30 et non 16h. Merci de votre compréhension !

SOLD OUT – Goutelas’ Suite

SAINT-ÉTIENNE CRR JAZZ BIG BAND

The concert is SOLD OUT. Thank you for your understanding!

In February 1966, American jazz pianist Duke Ellington stayed at Goutelas, which was undergoing reconstruction. A lasting impact from his visit and the people he met, he composed a Goutelas Suite a few years later. Fifty years after his death, the Saint-Étienne Conservatory's big band will be celebrating this exceptional work.

Contrary to the information in the 2024-2025 brochure, the concert will take place at 4:30 p.m., not 4:00 p.m. Thank you for your understanding!

Details here.

Friday 11 April 2025

Cicognini-Rodari via Galcianese n. 20/4 – Central district- 59100 -Prato

Details here.

Sunday, 27 April 2025, 14:00 (PST)

A Duke Ellington Tribute with The Mike Braverman Sextet and Duke On Film

VIFF Centre, 1181 Seymour Street; Vancouver, British Columbia; V6B 3M7

Celebrate Duke Ellington’s birthday with a career-spanning selection of short films and excerpts from his first filmed performance in Black and Tan (1929) to Symphony in Black (1935) featuring Ellington alongside a young Billie Holiday, to excerpts from Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Paris Blues (1961) and more. The Mike Braverman Sextet will add to the festivities with a joyous live performance of tunes from Ellington vast repertoire that will exemplify legendary vocalist Joe Williams’ declaration, “Ellington is only forever.”Wednesday, 30 April 2025, 19:30(BST)

Details here.

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Birthday Broadcast WKCR 89.9 FM NY 24 hours

Tune in here.

North West Duke Ellington Orchestra Directed by Phil Shotton

The Capstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University

 Liverpool, 17 Shaw St, Liverpool L6 1HP

The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra does what it says on the tin – plays the fantastic music written and arranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

Directed by Phil Shotton, the 15 piece big band celebrates the music of Duke Ellington playing music from all eras of Ellington’s output, from his Cotton Club days to the swinging suites.

With band members from all over the North West (Cheshire, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside) brought together by the challenge and excitement of playing Duke Ellington’s most brilliant music, this will be a night to remember.

Details here.