Mr Tipple's, 39 Fell Street, San Francisco USA 94102
17:15 (PDT); 19:00 (PDT)
The Jazzopaters
Colin Hancock – Cornet
Victor Imbo – Trombone
Patrick Wolff – Alto Sax, Clarinet
Nathan Tokunaga – Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Kamrin Ortiz – Baritone Sax, Clarinet, Alto Sax
Rob Reich – Piano
Nick Rossi – Banjo
Clint Baker– Bass
Riley Baker – Drums
NIck Rossi formed the Jazzopaters in 2023, dedicated to the “small group” Swing Era repertoire of American Music Master Duke Ellington. However, this very special performance will shift the group’s focus towards early Ellingtonia and the Jazz Age: 1924-1932. Celebrate Duke’s 125th anniversary with a program of rarely heard material and perennial favorites originally composed and arranged by the maestro. As their special guest, the group will feature Early Classic Jazz specialist Colin Hancock, who already has two Grammy nominations during his young career.
A lifelong West Coaster, Nick has spent the past 30 years making music in his adopted home of San Francisco. An integral part of the international Classic and Swing Jazz scene, he has performed throughout the world presenting the music in a stylish and enthusiastic manner. He is also a respected historian and educator who writes for publications such as Acoustic Guitar and the Fretboard Journal. Additionally, he has worked on archival projects for Resonance, Fresh Sounds, Ace, and RPM Records.
In April 2023, Nick was a featured speaker at the Annual Ellington Conference held in Paris, France. Returning from this experience with the desire to combine his love of Duke’s music, small combo swing, history, and band-leading; Nick began to develop the Jazzopaters. So named in tribute to some of the earliest Ellington Unit small band recordings released under Barney Bigard’s name, they are the only ensemble in Northern California fully dedicated to this aspect of Duke Ellington’s vast jazz repertoire.
Featured Player – COLIN HANCOCK
Colin Hancock, age 27 from Austin, Texas, is a two time-Grammy Nominated Jazz musician and historian. As a child, he was drawn to the sounds of early jazz, blues, ragtime, and old time music. Since then, he’s built his musical career around playing and recording in that style of music and the technology around it, as well as preserving historical recordings for future generations to enjoy. He currently leads the Joymakers, an 8 piece hot jazz band focused on the sounds of 1920s territory bands of the South and Southwestern US.
17:15 tickets here.
19:00 Tickets here.
24 April 2024, 20: 00 (PDT)
Beyond Category: The Music of Duke Ellington
Celebrate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Duke Ellington, one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century, with a concert featuring a selection of Ellington masterpieces performed by the 15-piece Vancouver Jazz Orchestra led by clarinetist/saxophonist James Danderfer with special guests. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Duke’s music performed in the intimate and acoustically brilliant Historic Theatre at the Cultch.
Beyond Category: The Music of Duke Ellington is presented by Bohart
Details here
2,3,4 May 2024, 19:00 (EDT)
Duke Ellington at 125 The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
The Rose Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway &, W 60th St, New York, NY 10019, USA
ABOUT THE CONCERT
Duke Ellington used his international fame for the greater good throughout his career. To celebrate the musical giant’s 125th birthday, the JLCO salutes their greatest inspiration by performing some of his more socially conscious repertoire—music directed by Ted Nash.
Note: Wynton Marsalis will not perform at these concerts.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A celebration of 125 years of the maestro Duke Ellington.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra salutes Ellington as a musician - and as a human.
A pre-concert lecture precedes each performance at 7pm.
Keep the party going after the show by taking your ticket stub to Dizzy's Club for a complimentary cover to that evening's Late Night Session at 11:00pm.
2 May tickets here
3 May tickets here
4 May tickets here
Wednesday 9 May- Sunday 12 May, 2024 (Times vary. Check details here)
Jazz At Lincoln Center
Dizzy's Club
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Juilliard Jazz Orchestra: Duke's Long Pieces The Liberian Suite, The Degas Suite and Night Creature
The 19-piece Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, led by Juilliard faculty member and renown scholar Loren Schoenberg, performs Duke’s music from the 1930's through the 1970's. They will perform swing charts such as Shout 'em, Aunt Tillie, long form works such as A Tone Parallel to Harlem, selections from The Liberian Suite and The Uwis Suite, and vocal features such as Flamingo and, from the Perfume Suite, Strange Feeling. All will delight and inspire you.
Saxophones
Langston Hughes II, Lead Alto
Sophia Kickhofel
Nick Caldwell, Lead Tenor
Aiden McKeon
Kelvin Walters, Baritone
Trumpets
Summer Camargo, Lead
Jack Towse
Geoff Gallante
Voice
Gillian Margot
Trombones
Andre Perlman, Lead
Nate Jones
Nick Mesler
Rhythm
William Schwarzmann, Piano
Bruce Acosta, Guitar
Pedro Sequeira, Vibraphone
Guillermo Lopez, Bass
Matt Lee, Drums
Essentially Ellington
Jazz At Lincoln Center
9-11 May, 2024
Top 15 high school jazz bands in the U.S. commemorate Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival on 9-11 May, 2024.
In celebration of Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday, Jazz at Lincoln Center offersnever-before-available scores of Ellington’s music to high school bands across the globe.
No figure looms larger in the story of jazz than Duke Ellington whose artistic development and sustained achievement are among the most spectacular and influential in the history of music.
On 9-11 May, commemorating the 125th birthday of Duke Ellington —America’s most prolific composer of the 20th century in both number of pieces and variety of forms— the top 15 high school-aged jazz bands from across the country will converge at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s home, Frederick P. Rose Hall, in New York, NY.
Students will spend three days immersed in workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals, and performances, and compete for top honors in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 29th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival, the nation’s premier jazz education event.
The 2024 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Finalists:
Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA)
Directed by Chad Bloom
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts (West Palm Beach, FL)
Directed by Christopher M. De León
Beloit Memorial High School (Beloit, WI)
Directed by Chris Behrens
Bothell High School (Bothell, WA)
Directed by Philip Dean
Byron Center High School (Byron Center, MI)
Directed by Marc Townley
Garfield High School (Seattle, WA)
Directed by Jared Sessink
King Philip Regional High School (Wrentham, MA)
Directed by Michael Keough
Newark Academy (Livingston, NJ)
Directed by Julius Tolentino
Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana, CA)
Directed by John Reynolds
Osceola County School for the Arts (Kissimmee, FL)
Directed by Jason Anderson
Plano West Senior High School (Plano, TX)
Directed by Preston Pierce
Roosevelt High School (Seattle, WA)
Directed by Hannah Mowry
Susan E. Wagner High School (Staten Island, NY)
Directed by Paul Corn
Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble (Raleigh, NC)
Directed by Gregg Gelb
Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage (DuPage, IL)
Directed by Robert Blazek
These finalists were selected from more than 100 high school jazz bands that submitted recordings of three tunes from the Essentially Ellington library.
ABOUT THE MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
Join us for an exhilarating evening where jazz history comes alive! Acclaimed guitarist and Ellington aficionado, Nick Rossi, leads his dynamic Jazzopaters on a captivating journey into the heart of Duke Ellington’s electrifying small group repertoire.
Beyond the grandeur of his big band, Duke crafted intimate masterpieces for nimble 7-10 piece ensembles, drawing out the brilliance of his star soloists. Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of these rarely performed gems, composed between the mid-1930s and mid-1940s, a pivotal era in jazz history.
This is more than just a concert — Nick Rossi will invite you to discuss the fascinating context behind these musical treasures. Explore how Ellington’s artistic vision intertwined with the economic and social forces of the time. Discover how these small groups compared to the work of Swing Era contemporaries and their lasting impact on jazz.
Nick and his Jazzopators — which includes rising young stars such as Nathan Tokunaga, Riley Baker, and James Dunning as well as Bay Area jazz masters like SJW faculty artist Patrick Wolff — will delve into the lives and contributions of the original composers and Ellington’s iconic soloists, placing them within the rich tapestry of Ellingtonia and jazz history. Prepare to be introduced to legendary names like Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, and Ben Webster, as we uncover the magic they conjured within these smaller ensembles.
This night is for music lovers, history buffs, and anyone curious to discover a hidden facet of Ellington’s genius. Get ready to tap your feet, engage your mind, and be transported to a bygone era where swing reigned supreme.
PERSONNEL
Nick Rossi, guitar and leader
Patrick Wolff, alto saxophone and director
Nathan Tokunaga, clarinet
Kamrin Ortiz, baritone saxophone
James Dunning, trumpet
Victor Imbo, trombone
Rob Reich, piano
Mikiya Matsuda, bass
Riley Baker, drums
"Tickets are available now for the Nick Rossi's Jazzopaters: an Ellingtonia Unit at the Stanford Jazz Workshop as part of their Jazz Inside Outseries on Friday, 24th May at the Campbell Recital Hall on Stanford University campus. This will be a great opportunity to see and hear the band perform their core Swing Era repertoire in a true concert setting with the bonus of a deep level of audience + artist interaction."
"I am very proud to announce that Nick Rossi's Jazzopaters: an Ellingtonia Unit will be performing at this year's Healdsburg Jazz gala dinner event at Montage Healdsburg, on Friday, April 19th. And for fundraising event's Roaring '20s theme, we are putting together a program of Jazz Age Duke Ellington material for your listening and dancing pleasure. Join us up in Healdsburg for an elegant night in support of a great Bay Area arts organization.
... Pleased and proud to announce that this year's Healdsburg Jazz Gala featuring a special 1920s Jazz Age Ellingtonia performance from the Jazzopaters is SOLD OUT! Thank you for everyone who purchased tables and tickets. There is a waitlist for those interested."
