Danish Prints

 

unBoxing Day

Live: December 2022

11 December, 2022 (19:30GMT)

On the Trail of Duke Ellington

Harmony In Harlem 

St. John's Arts and Recreation Centre, St. John's Walk, Market Street, Harlow, Essex CM17 OAJ

With a further foray into our authentic repertoire of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Harmony In Harlem return to St John's ARC, Old Harlow, for a Sunday evening concert of vibrant, exotic, foot-tapping jazz and swing in memory of the late John Graham, notable Harlow architect and sponsor of the orchestra.

Details here.

30 December 2022 (19:30 PST)

A Concert of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra

Town Hall, Seattle

What a great gift for your out-of-town guests!

Give the gift of jazz and support TWO venerable organizations in Seattle dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of this uniquely American art form - the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and Earshot Jazz who have partnered on this annually anticipated event for decades.

You can buy tickets here.

AND THEN you can print out this invitation and present it to any recipient of this really thoughtful gift.

We recommend getting tickets now, we do expect this to sell out quickly!

Ellington’s wonderful “Sacred Music” is both serious and swinging. It is a reverent and hip body of jazz composition, written late in his career, for jazz big band, vocal and instrumental soloists, and tap dancers.

For the past 30+ years Earshot Jazz and Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra have partnered to present an annual concert of Ellington’s Sacred Music. The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Michael Brockman (who co-founded SRJO alongside Clarence Acox Jr.), features the 17-piece big band with trumpeters Jay Thomas, Nathan Breedlove, Michael Van Bebber, and Brad Allison; trombonists Dan Marcus, Scott Brown, Jerome Smith, Bill Anthony, and David Bentley. Rhythm includes Randy Halbertstadt, D’Vonne Lewis, Milo Peterson, and Phil Sparks. This year’s vocal solos will feature Robert Neal and Nichol Eskridge. Tap this out—the iconic “David Danced” will be performed by Alex Dugdale in his tap-dancing form.

The vocal ensemble parts will be performed by the traditional Northwest Chamber Chorus, and in a new twist, SRJO adds to the bill a gospel choir, The Sound of the Northwest, directed by Vanessa Bruce. SRJO, the guest soloists, and the two vocal groups will join forces to honor vocal artistry and the universality of Ellington’s message. 

*COVID-19 Policy: While Earshot Jazz no longer requires proof of vaccination at any venue where an Earshot Jazz event is being produced (unless that venue requires proof of vaccination), Earshot recommends that individuals be vaccinated. Masks encouraged. Full policy here. Policy subject to change.

Photo of Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra courtesy of SRJO

Redhead Rex Stewart

Another seasonal treat... the rare stereo edition of Rex Stewart's take on the Broadway show Redhead...

Rex Stewart Quintet Redhead 1959 FULL STEREO ALBUM Bucky Pizzarelli

Music composed by Albert Hague. Rex Stewart (t) / Mousey Alexander (d) / Leonard Gaskin (b) / Bucky Pizzarelli (g) / John Bunch (p) / Joe Venuto (marimba)

From the back cover (spoiler below for you who haven't seen the play from which this music comes): ["February, 1959 was a good month. Especially for a group of charming and talented people who stayed awake all night to read '... a walloping hit.' (Robert Coleman, Mirror) '... best musical comedy of the season.' (Richard Watts, Post) '... firecracker of a musical...' (Walter Kerr, Herald Tribune) '... an excellent plot... good songs, a smartly handsome production... tip-top musical.' (John Chapman, Daily News). This can go on for pages. The theatre, the 46th Street Theatre, New York City. The show, Redhead, starring the magnificent Gwen Verdon and co-starring Richard Kiley. The story is a great comedy with a wonderful mystery or rather a great mystery mixed with a wonderful comedy. It's actually a murder mystery, a romance, a comedy all put together into a musical triumph. Essie Whimple (played by Gwen Verdon) is a rather wistful young lady, very plain who makes wax figures in a London museum. This wax works belongs to her two aunts, the Simpson sisters. Now Essie has a tendency of seeing into the future. Her best vision is about her prince charming, a well set individual, strong, handsome. Richard Kiley comes to life as that man. While she has these visions she also happens to have one of the strangler who is terrifying London at the time. She creates an exhibit of this fiend who has murdered a dancing girl appearing at the Odeon Theatre. Well, everything works out beautifully... she traps the killer and gets her man. The winner... why the audience, of course. Rex Stewart comes into his own on this album. He and his gang just sat right down and played for the fun of it all. Good music is fun and you'll feel a beat going through your toes. The artistry of Rex Stewart comes out for a wonderful sound. Rex has come a long way since he blew trumpet with Duke Ellington. For another enjoyable session with Rex Stewart, we recommend Design DCF-1010 -- The Golden Era of Dixieland Jazz -- Vol. II. A must for any collection."] The propaganda gets even deeper: ["'...A REVOLUTION IN RECORDING...' DANTON WALKER The enclosed DESIGN 'TWO WAY' STEREO long playing record, *for the first time*, gives a new, amazing, 'in depth' reproduction on any monophonic (Hi-Fi) record player. Stereophonically, it reproduces the ultimate in two-channel separation and sound on any stereo machine. You are now able to purchase, *for the first time*, one record that can be used on ANY TYPE OF PHONOGRAPH. With these DESIGN COMPATIBLE FIDELITY STEREOPHONIC records your music library will never become obsolete! Listen -- be amazed! -------------------------------------------- This DESIGN COMPATIBLE STEREO record has been mastered on a Neuman Lathe using the Fairchild #641 Uni-Groove cutting head giving less than ½% distortion at 14 cm between 1,000 to 15,000 cycles. RIAA curve flat from 30 to 15,000 cycles. -------------------------------------------- NOTE TO AUDIOPHILES We will be pleased to send you a technical brochure explaining DESIGN COMPATIBLE FIDELITY. Send a stamped, self addressed envelope to PICKWICK SALES CORP., Pickwick Bldgl, Long Island City 1, N.Y. -------------------------------------------- PRINTED IN USA A PRODUCT OF PICKWICK SALES CORP., LONG ISLAND CITY 1, N.Y. Ⓡ"] If any viewers would care to forward more information about these sides and anything else about the sessions I will be happy to add it to this description, extending full credit if the contributor wishes it. 0:00 My Girl Is Just Enough For Me 4:24 Just For Once 6:49 I Feel Merely Marvelous 10:47 The Right Finger Of My Left Hand 13:17 Look Who's In Love 16:50 Uncle Sam Rag 20:45 Two Faces In The Dark 24:17 I'm Back In Circulation 27:05 Erbie Fitch's Dilemma 29:11 Pick Pocket Tango This original longplay soundtrack album was pressed and released as DCF-1047 by Design in 1959, and is part of my personal collection. I ripped its contents for my enjoyment and created this video hoping to share it with others who appreciate hard-to-find and obscure music. Should the current copyright holders require its removal from this site I will comply. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

Enable Arabesque Cookies...

As the festive season approaches, it seems the perfect time to post these videos, Alvin Ailey's choreography for Ellington's music: Pas de Duke, Reflections in D and Night Creature...

The requisite page, from which the descriptions below the videos were taken, is here.

This Ailey dance was conceived back in 1976 for two of the greatest dancers of the 20th century: Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Starting with the basic elements of ballet, a dizzying combination of arabesques, pirouettes and double turns, Ailey then infused the classic Pas de Deux with jazz and modern dance and set it all to the cool sounds of Duke Ellington.

Ailey was exploring the extent of his own skillset when he created this strong yet serene dance piece for himself in 1962. While it’s only three minutes long, this solo ballet is stunning and highlights the grace, artistry and power of any male dancer who is given the opportunity to perform it.

Considered one of Ailey’s most joyous ballets, this effervescent production features a large ensemble in brightly painted outfits bursting with color. Set to the music of famed jazz composer Duke Ellington, the dance features a mix of traditional ballet fused with jazz and contemporary dance. Night Creature first premiered on a CBS television special, Ailey Celebrates Ellington, in 1976. 

Duke à Paris: 2023

The news we've been waiting for...

DUKE ELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL MEETING

Paris, 28-30 April 2023

The symposium will be organized for the first time in Paris by 

La Maison du Duke, with a non exclusive focus around the connection between Duke and France. In the program: conferences, round tables, cinema, visits, concerts, etc. 

Save the date !

Live: November 2022

13 November, 2022 (14:00 PDT)

This concert will be live streamed

Reminiscing in Tempo

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra

Kirkland Performance Centre

Copies for the live or streamed performance may be purchased here

Reminiscing in Tempo - Notes

by Ken Steiner

 

Ellington had become an international celebrity by the time Daisy had been diagnosed with cancer.  The devoted son arranged treatment by a specialist in Detroit.   He limited his band’s relentless touring activity to that city’s environs so he could spend his days with her while leading his band at night.  After eight weeks in the hospital, Daisy Kennedy Ellington passed on May 26, 1935, at the age of 56.  Ellington, along with his father, sister, and son, accompanied her casket on the train to Washington, D.C. where she was buried.

 

“I didn’t do anything but brood,” recalled Duke.  “The music is representative of that.  It begins with pleasant thoughts.  Then something awful gets you down.  Then you snap out of it, and it ends affirmatively.”

Duke Ellington’s “world had been built around his mother, and the days after her death were the saddest and most morbid of his life,’ recalled Ellington’s son, Mercer.  “He just sat around and wept for days.  The first sign that he was coming out of despair was Reminiscing in Tempo.”  Duke later told a story of writing it aboard a train during a July 1935 tour of one-nighters.   “I found the mental isolation to reflect on the past.  I was caught up in the rhythm and motion of a train dashing through the South.”

“The piece was a breakthrough for him - at thirteen minutes, his longest composition to date and one that integrated the various themes into a whole,” according to John Hasse, Ellington biographer and Curator Emeritus of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution.  Hasse points out that Reminiscing in Tempo offers composed solos.  Arthur Whetsel’s muted trumpet was assigned the plaintive opening theme.    Other instrumentalists featured were Juan Tizol (trombone), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Duke himself (piano), and Rex Stewart (cornet), who reprises the theme first stated by Whetsel.    The real star, though, is the orchestra, which created a mix of sound and color that no other band could play.  Reminiscing in Tempo, recorded for Brunswick on September 12, 1935, ran the length of both sides of two 78-rpm records. Reminiscing in Tempo “is built from a small collection of motives, each subject to slight variation, truncation, and/or extension,” according to John Howland, author of Ellington Uptown: Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson, and the Birth of Symphonic Jazz.  Howland’s study of the manuscripts revealed that Part IV was written in different ink, suggesting that it was written separately, possibly as a later addition to fill out the second side of the second record.

 

Ellington’s homage to his mother received a mixed reception.  Critic/Promotor John Hammond called it and “rambling” and “pretentious” and accused Ellington of betraying jazz.   Few live performances from the 1930s are known.  Although labeled a “Fox Trot” on the Brunswick 78 rpm records, the piece was not well-suited for the dance halls, night clubs, or vaudeville theaters where Ellington plied his trade. Jazz concerts were just coming into existence.  Reminiscing in Tempo was on the program for Ellington’s first US concert at UCLA in 1937, and again at CCNY in 1939.  Although not often performed, for Duke, “hearing it constituted my total reward.”    When pressed in a 1952 Down Beat retrospective, Ellington named Reminiscing in Tempo as one of his eleven favourite compositions.

Duke revived Reminiscing in Tempo in 1945 for one of his Treasury Shows, a series of hour-long nationwide broadcasts.  With the knowledge that the Saturday shows would be recorded, Duke took the opportunity to document some of his greatest works.  It was also included on a 1948 “concert tour” that included stops at Carnegie Hall and Cornell University where recordings were made.   When revisiting his compositions, it was Duke’s custom to edit.   The 1940s performances of Reminiscing were shortened to the first three sections. John Howland has suggested this as another indication of Ellington’s original intent.

 

SRJO conductor, co-founder, and reed player Michael Brockman is most pleased to bring Reminiscing in Tempo to life.  He has admired and studied Ellington’s opus for years; it covered about one-third of his doctoral dissertation on Ellington’s compositional techniques.    Dr. Brockman knows Reminiscing from the inside, having done the laborious work of transcription. Like Ellington, Brockman’s reward is that he gets to “hear it.”   And it’s our reward, too – a rare chance to hear this tone parallel to grief, memory, and affirmation of life.

​Ken Steiner is a jazz historian specializing in Duke Ellington and serves as an SRJO board member. 

18 November (19:30EST); 19 November (14:30 EST) 2022

November 19 will be live streamed

New York Choral Society

Tishman Auditorium at The New School, 63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003

 

Ellington’s Sacred Concerts

The New York Choral Society presents a historic staging of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts.

This music is the most important thing I’ve ever done or am ever likely to do. This is personal, not career. Now I can say out loud to all the world what I’ve been saying to myself for years on my knees.”      Duke Ellington

 

Combining elements of jazz, classical music, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance, Ellington’s three Sacred Concerts were first performed in 1965, 1968, and 1973. Ellington said it was the most important music he’d ever written. Because of the scale of the music and the number of artists needed to perform each work, Ellington’s Sacred Concerts have rarely been performed in their entirety since his death in 1974 and have not been performed in a concert hall setting in New York City in over 35 years.

Our chorus  is joined by vocalists Brianna Thomas and Milton Suggs, dancer Daniel J. Watts,  artist James Little, and The New School Studio Orchestra. David Hayes and Keller Coker conduct.

 

“The magnitude of this production is evident, and we are pleased to start our 2022-2023 season in such a profound way that offers audiences across generations and musical interests a lively and inspiring mix of music, dance, and visual art to discover this exceptional music by a well-known figure in America’s cultural history. Ellington was driven by bringing people together through music, and we pay homage to his legacy this fall to bring artists, audiences, and our community together in this historic moment of celebration and expression.”   

David Hayes

Details here.

Monday, 21 November, 2022, 18:30 (GMT)

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Duke Ellington Orchestra

Eastside Jazz Club, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Road, B4 7XR

Directed by Jeremy Price Head of Jazz

We welcome you with a  gig of all our favourites from the core repertoire. Our regular fans will recognise a few faces in the band, but also lots of new students tackling the Ellington/Strayhorn oeuvre for the first time. It’s been such a relief and a pleasure to rehearse this fantastic new bunch of musicians and to hear our Ellington Orchestra at full tilt once more. We look forward to sharing this with you in our wonderful club venue that is Eastside Jazz Club.

Details here.

Tone Parallel: Autumn 2022

The latest edition of Tone Parallel is available now.

To subscribe, details here.

Happy Re-Reunion

 

Until recently, the video above was available on YouTube. It appears to have been taken down. This is a shame. I am therefore posting the video here. No copyright infringement is intended but  this particular luminous and sublime performance of Happy Reunion by Paul Gonsalves and Duke Ellington should be available freely and always for everyone. 

The performance took place on 21 July, 1972 at the University of Wisconsin as part of an Ellington masterclass. The story behind the video is the subject of the next Tone Parallel newsletter which, all being well, will be winging its way to subscribers later this month.

I will post detail here when the newsletter is ready.

Live: October 2022

 

11 October 2022

 Duke Orchestra Laurent Mignard

19:30 (CET) Orange Bleu, 7 Rue Jean Mermoz, 95600 Eaubonne, France

Admission Free 

Details here.

17 October 2022

La Maison du Duke:

Conférence-Concert La Créativité d’Ellington entre chefs-d’œuvre & medleys

« La Créativité d’Ellington, entre chefs d’oeuvre & medleys »
par Leïla Olivesi & le Big Band du Xème dirigé par Pascal Gaubert
Lundi 17 octobre à 19h30 au conservatoire Hector Berlioz
6 Rue Pierre Bullet, 75010 Paris
Dans le cadre du partenariat Conservatoire Hector Berlioz & Maison du Duke

Duke Ellington a fait preuve d’une créativité spectaculaire pendant les cinquante années au cours desquelles il a dirigé son orchestre avec un répertoire toujours en mouvement. Au cours de cette conférence illustrée par les performances du big band du conservatoire Xème, dirigé par Pascal Gaubert depuis 25 ans, la pianiste et compositrice Leïla Olivesi tentera de percer les secrets de l’évolution de la musique d’Ellington ainsi que le rôle des medleys dans ses concerts. Un parcours qui nous mènera de la Black and Tan Fantasy à la Liberian Suite en passant par les éternels Cotton Tail et Sophisticated Lady.

Details here.

Ever Up and Onward...

From Colburn School...

Ever Up and Onward

A Tribute to Billy Strayhorn

A virtuoso pianist, lyricist, and orchestrator, Billy Strayhorn was a pioneer of the modern big band sound. His 28-year collaboration with Duke Ellington left a significant mark on Ellington’s musical identity and brand. In this eight-part video series, bassist and Colburn Conservatory alumnus Marlon Martinez explores the life, legacy, and music of this jazz icon.

Ever Up and Onward presents an in-depth portrait of Billy Strayhorn through interviews, audio recordings, archival video footage, in-depth analysis of musical characteristics, and performanceswith the Marlonius Jazz Orchestra.

Special thanks to the Billy Strayhorn Foundation for its invaluable support of this project.

Episode 1: Who is Billy Strayhorn?

Meet composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn, who composed some of the greatest jazz standards of the mid-20th century and was a fierce advocate for the advancement of Black music and musicians.

Episode 2: Billy Strayhorn’s Musical Style

Explore Billy Strayhorn’s pioneering style of the big band era, in which he brought a complexity and progressive touch to melody, orchestration, harmony, lyrics, and compositional form.

Episode 3: Billy Strayhorn’s Musical Footprint

Explore signature techniques of Billy Strayhorn’s music that inspired countless legends with forward-thinking melodies, chord progressions and orchestrations.

Episode 4: Billy Strayhorn’s Approach to Structure

Discover how Billy Strayhorn’s formal training in classical music influenced his compositional style.

Episode 5: Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington’s Collaboration

Learn about the collaboration between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn that spanned almost 3 decades, resulting in some of the greatest compositions in jazz history.

Episode 6: Uncredited Billy Strayhorn

Discover why Billy Strayhorn was lesser known and often uncredited, despite having written about 40% of Duke Ellington’s music.

Episode 7: Artistic Choices Made by Duke

Explore artistic choices made by Duke Ellington that changed or deleted some of Billy Strayhorn’s compositional elements in favour of a performance moment or particular player’s personality.

Episode 8: Billy Strayhorn’s Legacy

Learn how Billy Strayhorn elevated Black American music and paved the way for countless BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists.

Marlon Martinez and the Marlonius Jazz Orchestra

Jazz virtuoso bassist and Colburn Conservatory alumnus Marlon Martinez presents a tribute to Billy Strayhorn, emceed by Classical KUSC announcer Alan Chapman.

Jazz virtuoso bassist and Colburn Conservatory alumnus Marlon Martinez presents a tribute to jazz icon Billy Strayhorn. In a concert emceed by Classical KUSC announcer Alan Chapman, Marlon’s big band Marlonius Jazz Orchestra will revive lesser known and newly discovered works. The program includes tunes like Take the 'A' Train, Rhapsody in Blue, Chelsea Bridge, Pretty Girl, and more.

Also on the program is a filmed work, choreographed by Colburn Dance Dean and Amplify artist Silas Farley. The ballet is set to significant recordings of piano pieces by Strayhorn.