Live: September 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.

Saturday, 13 September 2025, 19:30(BST)

The Blackbird and The Duke

Nu Civilisation Orchestra

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

The Blackbird and The Duke

Nu Civilisation Orchestra celebrates the Harlem Renaissance with Duke Ellington’s music and the story of Florence Mills, with special guests CHERISE and Bonnie Greer.

Although Ellington and Mills never formally collaborated, their lives were entwined in the Black cultural revolution of the Harlem Renaissance in mid-1920s New York.

The evening begins with the premiere of The Blackbird of Harlem, telling the story of the artist, activist and trailblazer Florence Mills through music, dance and spoken word.

It also features two of Duke Ellington’s seminal pieces that chart the influence of the influential New York district, A Tone Parallel to Harlem and Black, Brown and Beige.

As African American artists and writers united to take ownership of their own representation, Mills and Ellington were at the centre of a creative movement that shook up a city and woke up a nation, the impact of which can still be felt across the world to this day.

Duke Ellington composed A Tone Parallel to Harlem in 1951, capturing the transformative essence of the Harlem Renaissance, creating a vivid soundscape of the times.

Black, Brown and Beige charts the social narrative of African American history. Beginning with the burden and oppression of ‘Work Song’, the prayer for salvation of ‘Come Sunday’ (originally performed and recorded with the Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson), the story shifts to the patriotic Black Americans fighting in the Revolutionary, Civil and Spanish-American wars.

The final chapter covers the ‘Great Migration’ and the movement of Black Americans into the city – arriving in Harlem, hungry for a cultural awakening and revolution that would shape the identity of African Americans in the 20th century and beyond.

Florence Mills’ story is a testament to resilience, talent, and her pursuit of equality. From her childhood and Vaudeville beginnings, through to her breakthrough on Broadway in Shuffle Along and subsequent headline shows and European tours, Nu Civilisation Orchestra tells the little-known story of the life of the singer, dancer and formidable campaigner for equal rights for African Americans, who became known across the world as ‘The Blackbird of Harlem’.

This event is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors Presents Harlem Renaissance: A 100 Year Revolution. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.

Details here.

Saturday 13 September  2025, 14:00 (BST)

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

A 100-Year Revolution: The Harlem Renaissance

Trace the century-long cultural impact of the Harlem Renaissance across the Black diaspora in a panel discussion made up of writers, musicians and historians.

Acclaimed jazz talent development organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors hosts a panel including Bonnie Greer, Margaret Busby, Soweto Kinch and Kevin Le Gendre to discuss the origins of the Harlem Renaissance, exploring how the Black creative revolution in 1920s New York transformed the world, both then and now.

The Harlem Renaissance saw an explosion of literature, music, visual art, and intellectual thought that defined a new African American identity. Black artists, writers and musicians were taking control of their own narrative and through a movement that would grow to encompass and celebrate commonality of the cultural heritage of the African diaspora.

While the Harlem Renaissance inspired the music of Ellington, the writing of Zora Neale Hurston and the art of Aaron Douglas, it was never just an American phenomenon – it inspired a global Black consciousness.

Writers like Claude McKay (who was Jamaican) and thinkers like W.E.B. Du Bois had international influence, connecting Harlem to London, Paris and beyond. That legacy continues to inspire artists and activists across Britain.

The panel examines how Harlem’s cultural explosion influenced Black British identity, the impact of transatlantic artistic exchanges and the role of the creative arts in cultural solidarity.

This event is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors Presents Harlem Renaissance: A 100 Year Revolution. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.

Details here. 

Saturday, 13 September, 19:00-20:15; 21:30-22:45 (BST) 

Tony Kofi and Alan Barnes The Pocket Ellington

Toulouse Lautrec Restaurant and Jazz Club, 140 Newington Butts, Kennington

London, SE11 4RN

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7582 6800

A swinging, seven-piece celebration of the Ellington repertoire with Alan Barnes (reeds), Tony Kofi (tenor), Simon Finch (trumpet), David Lalljee (trombone), Dave Green (bass) and Winston Clifford (drums). 

As well as clever adaptations of Ellington classics by pianist / MD Alex Webb, the group also plays music from arranger/composers influenced by the Duke, including Mingus, Monk and Gil Evans.  Music for the heart, ears and feet.

Alan Barnes (reeds): A highly regarded British saxophonist and clarinetist known for his versatility and skill across multiple reed instruments. He’s an active performer, recording artist, and arranger in the jazz scene, blending traditional and modern jazz styles.

Tony Kofi (tenor saxophone): A prominent British jazz saxophonist who has gained recognition for his powerful playing and contribution to hard bop and contemporary jazz. He’s a former member of the Jazz Warriors and has collaborated widely in the jazz world.Tony Kofi (tenor saxophone): My bio here is also solid. Tony Kofi is a prominent jazz saxophonist, widely respected for his work, including as a member of the Jazz Warriors and various solo projects.

Dave Green (bass): A legendary British double bassist known for his long-standing contributions to jazz. He has played with numerous iconic figures, including Stan Tracey, Humphrey Lyttelton, and even American jazz stars like Ben Webster and Sonny Rollins when they toured the UK.

Winston Clifford (drums): A versatile and dynamic British drummer with a wide-ranging career. Known for his work in both traditional and contemporary jazz settings, his playing is characterized by a deep sense of groove and musicality.

Details here.

Stafford Jazz Society Presents Harlem

Sunday, 28 September 12:30-14:30 (BST)

The White Eagle Club, Riverway, Stafford ST16 3TH

A professional 13-piece ensemble drawn from across central England and specialising in authentic jazz classics from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. Directed and arranged by Bob Hunt on lead trombone the orchestra features “Magic” Mike Henry (lead cornet), Wil Robinson (trumpet), Charlie Manning (trumpet), Graham Woodhouse (valve & slide trombone), Zoltan Sagi (lead reeds section), Richard Exall (reeds), Michael Kilpatrick (clarinet, alto sax & baritone sax), Art Toper (piano), John Irwin (banjo/guitar), Tomas Pedersen (string bass), Nick Ward (drums) and Sarah Spencer (vocals).

Details here.

Duke Ellington: American Genius

Instructor: William Saxonis, Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, UAlbany,  The Albany Guardian Society, 12 Corporate Woods Blvd 1st Floor, Albany, NY 12211

Ellington expert Bill Saxonis  will be leading a course on the life and work of Duke Ellington: 5, September  12, 19, 26 September, 3 and 10 October

at University at Albany, New York State.

Details in our previous post here.

Saxophonics

News from Ellington expert Bill Saxonis who will be leading a course on the life and work of Duke Ellington  from 5 September at University at Albany, New York State.

Duke Ellington: American Genius

Instructor: William Saxonis, Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Administration and Policy, UAlbany,  The Albany Guardian Society, 12 Corporate Woods Blvd 1st Floor, Albany, NY 12211

Overview: This course will explore Ellington’s art, life and times utilizing music, film and excerpts from interviews recorded with key figures in Ellington’s world including several interviews personally conducted by the instructor.

Day/Time: Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon

Dates: 9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3 and 10/10

Location: Albany Guardian Society, 12 Corporate Woods Blvd 1st Floor, Albany, NY 12211

Format: In-Person or Zoom 

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899, and died in New York City on May 24, 1974. He lived a most extraordinary life. His doting mother recognized her son as exceptional from the start, proclaiming, "Edward you are blessed!" This course will explore Ellington’s art, life and times utilizing music, film and excerpts from interviews recorded with key figures in Ellington’s world including several interviews personally conducted by the instructor.

For six decades, Duke Ellington demonstrated his remarkable gifts as a composer, arranger, bandleader and pianist. Simply stated, Ellington was prolific, innovative and in the opinion of many, the 20th century's greatest composer. His music was never restrained by the boundaries of the jazz idiom. He wrote music for symphony orchestra, theater, ballet, movies, dance halls concert halls and places of worship - about 2,000 compositions in all.

His bands always showcased some of the jazz world's finest and most individualistic musicians. Many of these all-stars stayed with the band for decades, some virtually their entire adult lives. The ensemble was further enriched by Ellington's creative and gifted piano playing that was skillfully woven into the arrangements with laser precision. His solo and small group piano recordings have become jazz classics.

Ellington's mystique also included a dynamic stage presence and unlimited charisma. He brought sophistication  to jazz for audiences of all races, colors and creeds. Ellington traveled incessantly to perform for enthusiastic audiences worldwide and the rigors and frequent indignities of life on the road seemed only to stimulate his creative spirit. Whether he was playing in a high school gym, a jazz club, Carnegie Hall or before British royalty, Ellington always charmed and delighted his audience. 

Class Schedule

Week 1: Introduction and the Emergence of Genius

Topics: Why study Ellington?

An exploration of Ellington’s youth in Washington DC, his move to New York City and rise to national fame at Harlem’s Cotton Club.

Week 2: Ellington the Composer

Topics: Ellington’s creative process

What inspired Ellington’s compositions?

A review of the extraordinary life of Billy Strayhorn, Ellington’s writing and arranging companion. Strayhorn was a significant factor in the Ellington story.

Week 3: The Band was Duke Ellington’s Instrument

Topics: How Ellington held together, decade after decade, a band of all-star musicians even when it was financially impractical 

The role the band played in creating Ellington’s unique sound.

A snapshot of some of the band’s featured soloists.

Week 4: Ellington’s Extraordinary Music

Topic: Exploration of compositions that go beyond Ellington’s contributions to America’s songbook (e.g., Mood Indigo, Sophisticated Lady and It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing). The quality and breadth of the totality of Ellington’s music including symphonies, scared concerts, suites, movie scores… is astounding.

Week 5: Ellington and Civil Rights

Topics: Ellington’s underappreciated role in civil rights.

The exploration of how Ellington navigated maintaining popularity with his white audiences while using his art to celebrate his Black heritage.

The challenges Ellington and other Black artists faced traveling across America.

Week 6: The Ellington Continuum

Topics: Ellington’s legacy and how he influenced a wide range of musicians beyond the jazz idiom including Gershwin, Stravinsky, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

Studies by management gurus of Ellington’s methods of composing and  maintaining an all-star band

Ellington’s continued influence, 51 years after his passing. Despite wide ranging acclaim, a compelling case be made that Ellington is under appreciated.

The course costs $60. To register for a place, click here.

Cotton Pickin'

 

Since we are unlikely ever to be able to find the $3 400 the vendor of this programme for The Cotton Club requires, we are grateful that so many photographs of the item were supplied with the listing at this well-known Internet auction house. The vendor's description is as follows:

1937 Cotton Club Parade Program 25¢ – Signed by Duke Ellington – Beckett Authenticated – 12” x 9”

This is an original 1937 Cotton Club Parade program, signed by Duke Ellington and authenticated by Beckett Authentication Services (BAS). A rare and historic artifact, this 16-page program (12” x 9”) comes from the Cotton Club’s Broadway & 48th Street era, when the venue was at its peak as the premier stage for jazz and Black entertainment.

Historical Significance

This program is from the second edition of the 1937 Cotton Club Parade revue, which ran from March 14 to June 13, 1937. It captures the height of the Big Band & Swing era, featuring performances by:

• Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra – One of jazz’s greatest composers.
• Ethel Waters – Trailblazing singer and actress.
• The Nicholas Brothers – Legendary tap-dancing duo.
• George Dewey Washington & Ivy Anderson – Celebrated vocalists.

Features & Highlights

• Authentic Duke Ellington Signature – Professionally authenticated by Beckett (#AC66524) and has the sticker and a COA.
• Striking Art Deco Cover – A stunning illustration reflecting the energy of the jazz age.
• Full-Page Portraits & Biographies – Featuring Ellington, Waters, the Nicholas Brothers, and more.
• Cotton Club Girls Photography – Glamorous images by James J. Kriegman, capturing the club’s famous showgirls.
• Complete Show Program – Includes legendary performances such as:
  • “Cotton Club Express” by Duke Ellington
  • “Taps Is Tops” by Harold Nicholas
  • “Peckin’” – A new dance craze introduced in this revue
• Press Reviews & Famous Guests – Includes glowing reviews and a list of notable Hollywood and Broadway attendees.

Condition & Collectability

• Size: 12” x 9”
• Pages: 16 (unnumbered)
• Illustrations: 11 high-quality photos of entertainers and performances.
• Condition: Folded in half long way at some point, top right corners has a crease, so do a few pages. No tears. Minimal wear along outer edges. No other marks besides autograph. (Sorry for page glare from the light in some photos)
• Authentication: Duke Ellington’s signature has been verified by Beckett Authentication Services (BAS).

This is a rare, museum-worthy piece of jazz and entertainment history, offering a direct connection to Duke Ellington, the Harlem Renaissance, and the golden era of swing music.

Turned Out Nice Again

 

I have written about the gem of a video above before in Friends, I Wanna Tell Ya.

This performance of take The 'A' Train was recorded on 17 October, 1958, ten years after his previous visit to the UK. On that occasion, he performed only at the piano with Ray Nance, Kay Davis and was accompanied by a trio of British musicians - Jack Fallon, bass, Tony Crombie, drums and Malcolm Mitchell on guitar.

Ellington is reunited in the video here with Malcolm Mitchell a decade after their UK tour. 

From the website Gypsy Jazz UK:

"Mitchell was called on again by Duke Ellington in October 1958 for support on an ATV Broadcast. The Programme, Atlantic Showboat, (Ships Lounge) was produced by a Company owned by the Television presenter Hughie Green, and Jazz enthusiasts were outraged when he insisted on presenting it himself.  The Trio reassembled to play at Ellington ’97 Conference in Leeds, and Mitchell took part in Panel discussions where he gave a graphic account of his experiences with Duke Ellington. In the above Clip Mitchell plays a Fender Telecaster which although new to the UK then was hardly considered tobe a Jazz Guitar Instrument." 

More may be read about Malcolm Mitchell here. The video of Mitchell's priceless appearance on a discussion panel at the Ellington '97 conference referenced in the quotation may be viewed  here.

The presence of Hughie Green in the video clip is an excellent link to our post yesterday on composer, arranger and bandleader Bob Sharples, Sharples working with Hughie Green on the talent show Opportunity Knocks, where Green endlessly referred to him as 'Uncle Bob', for the duration of the series, 1964-78.

One of the other guests on the Atlantic Showboat broadcast was music hall comedian George Formby. Now, news comes from The George Formby Society that they have obtained a "first rate video" of the print, broadcast originally on 10 January 1959.

Here is the Showboat listing (if you'll forgive the expression...)

The Society's article about Atlantic Showboat may be found here.

The full video is to be shown at the forthcoming George Formby Society Convention which is taking place 13-14 September, 2025 at The Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool. Details here.

Turned out nice again!

 

Bob's Your Uncle...

 

It is not often I can write about a musician who worked with Duke Ellington and who was born about twenty minutes' walk away from where I am writing this.

The photograph above is Heap Bridge, Bury, Lancashire, as it looks today. It is the birthplace of conductor, composer and bandleader Robert Sharples who was born there on 2 July, 1913 under the name Robert Standish. 

Having studied composition, orchestration and conducting in Manchester, he moved to London and worked with such dance bands of the time as Ambrose, Roy Fox and Carroll Gibbons.

Quoting from Wikipedia:

 In the early 1960s Sharples became Musical Director for ABC Television based at Manchester's Didsbury Studios, where (with help from Ronnie Taylor and Johnny Roadhouse) he formed The ABC Television Orchestra.[10] This was used to supply music for all the ABC shows of the period, including Big Night Out (1961–1965),[11] Saturday Bandbox (1962) and the long-running talent show Opportunity Knocks.

It is in his capacity as Musical Director for ABC Television that Bob Sharples (as he was better known - of which more anon) that he came within the orbit of Duke Ellington.

In February 1966, Ellington performed excerpts from his Sacred Concert at Coventry Cathedral. Whilst it was the practice of Ellington, of course, to bring his own Orchestra to perform the music of the Sacred Concerts, he relied upon local talent to provide the choral elements. In the case of the performance at Coventry Cathedral, the choral parts were sung by The Cliff Adams Singers and the baritone singer George Webb.

In an interview conducted with Les Tomkins of Crescendo magazine which took place just before he went on stage in eastbourne in 1973, Ellington was discussing his recently performed Third sacred Concert. of the choral aspects of his Sacred music, Ellington said:

"... when you’ve got a new work, you’ve got to co–ordinate the choir and everything; the band had never played any of it before, you know. It was brand new—I did it specially for Westminster Abbey.

"Oh, the choir was wonderful—absolutely magnificent, yeah. I’ve been very lucky with choirs. We had this beautiful choir down in Barcelona, Spain, about two or three years ago—boy, they were wonderful.

"And, of course, over in France we have the Double Six Of Paris. Then Roscoe, the kid who was conducting—he’s got a very fine choir in Philadelphia, too."

As the Musical Director for the television company producing the programme, it seems not an unreasonable assumption, then, that Bob Sharples was responsible for the choral aspects of the production. Unfortunately, his input is mentioned not at all in the liner notes for the Storyville CD nor in coverage generally of the concert at Coventry Cathedral.

From where did the soubriquet 'Uncle Bob' originate? Well, to inhabitants of the UK of a certain age, the name Bob Sharples is most closely associated with the amateur talent show Opportunity Knocks which ran from 1964 to 1978. The host of the programme was  Hughie Green who having spent many years in Canada, brought something of the brio of North American presenting style to British television and who regularly referred to Sharples as 'Uncle Bob'.

The connection between Hughie Green and Duke Ellington will be explored in tomorrow's post...

That a copy of the broadcast of Celebration survives at all and was located is aminor miracle of sorts in itself. Here is the Easter Day 1966 broadcast of the concert, performed on 21 February, 1966...

I think I read somewhere...

 First of three Duke Ellington UK-related posts this week...

And another discographical mystery solved. On 5 January 1973, Duke Ellington was at BBC Television Centre,  Wood Lane for an interview with chat show host Michael Parkinson. Parkinson was a big name at the BBC, his late night chat show a mainstay of the corporation's Saturday night schedules.

The interview, which occupied the entirety of Parkinson's hour long show as indeed it should, was broadcast on 24 February that year. It concluded with an impromptu performance by Duke at the piano with the Harry Stoneham Five, the resident band for the show.

With the exception of Harry Stoneham himself on organ, the rest of the musicians are not named in any Ellington discography. Those names may now be known. Later in the year, virtually the same set of musicians recorded an album on the EMI studio2stereo label.

In the liner notes, written by Michael Parkinson, he says:

"Satin Doll is for Duke Ellington. He played a solo on the show, then nodded across at harry Stoneham. 'Will dat cat paly with me?' he asked. That cat did and they swung into Satin Doll."

The personnel on the album The Harry Stone Five subsequently recorded is:

Bass Guitar – Pete Morgan

Drums – Dougie Wright

Guitar – Dick Abell

Woodwind - Peter Hughes

Organ – Harry Stoneham

The 'cats' who became honorary Ellingtonians for one evening, joining a very select group of musicians from the UK who played with Duke were the above personnel minus Peter Hughes. On vibraphone, however, was Alan Grahame.

Alan is still with us at 95 years of age.

The drummer, Dougie Wright is also still with us. His website may be found here.

The album, which may be listened to in its entirety here, was probably released around October of that same year when Ellington himself was back in the UK for a Royal Variety Performance.

I am very grateful to tenor saxophonist, writer and British jazz expert Simon Spillett for corrections to this post and information about Alan Grahame.

More on Simon's music in a future post and his excellent blog may be found here.

And here is that excerpt from The Michael Parkinson Show...

Piano Project

 

Memories sought of Duke Ellington's Eastbourne concert

Duke Ellington, jazz legend and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, made his final recording in Eastbourne – a fact which will be celebrated in the town this October with a special concert to mark the 50th anniversary of the album it produced.

It was at The Congress Theatre that Ellington delivered his swan song in December 1973, a concert immortalised on the 1975 RCA album, Eastbourne Performance.

The record was the last officially-released recording – and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release, jazz musicians, bassist Arnie Somogyi and pianist Mark Edwards, have recorded a brand-new album – The Ellington Piano Project – that rekindles Ellington's spirit and showcases the actual piano he played during the historic concert.

With fresh reimaginings of classic Ellington compositions placed alongside original music inspired by Ellington’s improvisations, the album spotlights New York-based Dutch tenor Gideon Tazelaar and Matthew Holmes on drums. Vocalist Sara Oschlag, known as an Ellington specialist through her performances with The Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, is a featured guest on two tracks, Love You Madly and Don’t You Know I Care.

The album is scheduled for release in October 2025 on Rubicon Jazz, accompanied by a supporting tour around the UK, which culminates in Ellington In Eastbourne at The Congress Theatre on October 12 – a celebration of Eastbourne’s unique connection to Duke, with a free-to-enter exhibition and evening gala concert featuring The Ellington Piano Project, Echoes of Ellington and The Brighton and Hove Youth Big Band.

Arnie is looking for memorabilia from that special night in Eastbourne – tickets, posters, whatever – to feature in the exhibition. Anyone who can help should get in touch by the Ellington in Eastbourne Facebook page or through the theatre.

“Ellington was the centre of the jazz world,” Arnie says. “I'm a jazz musician and he was just one of those jazz musicians who was central to my listening. My way in was through Charles Mingus. Being a bass player myself, he was one of my sound models and someone I've been hopelessly trying to emulate! But his great hero was Ellington. Ellington made music that was accessible. He comes from the big band tradition. Dance is very much part of his tradition straight away. But his music was harmonically and compositionally informed which made it really interesting. Just because music was popular, it didn't mean that it had to be dumbed down, and I think that's why he had so much appeal to so many different people across so many different genres.”

On that final tour Ellington did three gigs in England, one up north, one in London and the final one in Eastbourne: “At the time he was battling cancer. He didn't live much longer.

“I think he ended up in Eastbourne because it was an appropriately sized hall. It was away from London and probably to him it was just another gig on the tour. But we have spoken to a couple of people that were at the original concert. They said that it was obvious that he was a bit frail at that point but he still had the aura and the authority and the elegance. One of the guys that we spoke to said the whole band had a huge impression on him as a young man.

“The concert survives as the final official release. And it is curious. When I was going around Eastbourne dropping flyers and posters for the show, it seemed like quite a lot of people had maybe heard of the Eastbourne Ellington concert but just didn't really know the full connection to one of the greatest musicians ever. There should be a blue plaque!”

As for playing on that original Ellington piano: “The project began in 2020 when the Congress Theatre underwent a refurbishment. The theatre management were keen to replace the 1912 Steinway grand piano which was in poor condition but restoration was deemed uneconomic. Fortunately, Echo Zoo Studio owner Dave Lynch stepped in and rescued the piano from an uncertain future, ensuring that this important instrument remained in Eastbourne.

“Subsequently identified as the piano played by Duke Ellington on Eastbourne Performance it has now been lovingly restored and is a significant cultural artefact, housed at the studios, within a stone’s throw of its original home.”

Aware of the piano’s significance, Arnie and pianist Mark Edwards hatched the idea of recording an album inspired by Eastbourne Performance during a session at Echo Zoo in 2020. The 50th anniversary of the 1975 RCA release gave impetus to the project and in October 2024 they produced a suite of new music based around reworkings of Ellington compositions and original music inspired by Ellington’s piano improvisations. The album will be released this October.

Source: Sussex World