Flying Over The Island...

 

The photograph above was posted to the Facebook page of Simon Spillett and appropriated here for its huge significance to the story of Duke Ellington's visits to the UK.

According to Simon, the photgraph portrays "Ellingtonians at the Flamingo club in Wardour Street with some of London's finest, October 1958.

Left to right: Harry South, Tony Kinsey, Jeff Kruger, Paul Gonsalves, Jack Sharpe, Ray Nance, Ronnie Scott and Harry Carney."

October 1958 saw Duke Ellington tour the UK with the entire compliment of his Orchestra for the first time in twenty-five years, his famous initial visit in 1933.

The 1958 tour began a series of regular visits by the band to the UK which lasted for the next fifteen years and which were virtually annually throughout the mid-1960s.

Of the musicians pictured, Paul Gonsalves perhaps developed the closest ties to the UK, recording several albums here, including two with Tubby Hayes and the album Boom Jackie Boom Chick title track of which was named for Jack Sharpe in the picture above.

In anticipation of what we migh call The Eastbourne Festival, there will be several posts about Duke Ellington's time in the UK to follow...

We are delighted to learn just today that Pete Long's Echoes of Ellington Orchestra, which will take to the stage of The Congress Theatre, Eastbourne as the centrepiece of the festival on 12 October, will include Simon Spillett in the chair of Paul Gonsalves. In this regard, Simon's presence means that1973 is fused directly with 2025: Paul was unavailable due to illness and did not appear at Eastbourne. On that occasion, his place was taken by Percy Marion.

Eastbourne: October 2025

Exciting news of a mini- festival this coming October celebrating Duke Ellington and his Orchestra's appearance at The Congress Theatre, Eastbourne half a century ago.

"The future. Tonight. Eastbourne."

Here is the Press release:

Ellington in Eastbourne

A Festival of World-Class Jazz, Local Voices, and Musical Heritage—Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Duke Ellington’s Iconic "Eastbourne Performance”

Join us for Ellington in Eastbourne, a vibrant celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Eastbourne Performance—Duke Ellington’s legendary final album, recorded live at the iconic Congress Theatre during his last European tour. On Sunday 12 October 2025, the Congress Theatre will come alive with a dynamic, community-driven programme of performances and events. Featuring some of the UK’s top jazz talent alongside local, regional, and national collaborators, this one-off event celebrates a landmark moment in music history, shines a spotlight on Ellington’s enduring creative legacy, and commemorates Eastbourne’s special connection to one of the giants of 20th Century music.

Line-up:

Echoes of Ellington: Duke and Ella

The UK’s premier Ellington Big Band play music from the landmark albums, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook and Ella and Duke at the Côte D'Azur.

This 16-piece big band features sensational vocalist Sara Oschlag, and is packed full of acclaimed instrumentalists, under the leadership of Pete Long, musical director of the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.

“Pete Long’s Echoes of Ellington orchestra creates results that are amazingly truthful to the original Duke Ellington Orchestra” – Ronnie Scott’s Club

Arnie Somogyi and Mark Edwards: The Ellington Piano Project - Album Launch.

A special project researched and developed by two of the UK’s top jazz musicians - bassist Arnie Somogyi and pianist Mark Edwards – The Ellington Piano Project is centred around the last piano on which Ellington recorded. It draws on harmonies and improvised phrases heard on his final album, Eastbourne Performance, as inspiration for new compositions and spontaneous improvisations, alongside reimaginings of Ellington classics.

The band features New York-based rising tenor star Gideon Tazelaar, trumpeter Chris Coull and drummer Matthew Holmes.

“Musical reimaginings these days so often mask the material they seek to champion. This album, however, does precisely the opposite, offering us a new view on a legend mapped a million different times already. In this its significance is as noteworthy as its brilliance.” 

– Simon Spillett, award-winning saxophonist and author.

The Brighton & Hove Youth Big Big Band Play Ellington

The jazz stars of the future perform a set of Ellington classics. Presented by Create Music

The evening concert will be preceded by an Ellington-themed, free-to-attend performance, in the Congress Theatre foyer, presented by New Generation Jazz Futures Youth Ensembles. Engaging the next generation of young players is at the heart of New Generation Jazz’s mission. 

In the weeks before the festival, the Congress Theatre foyer will feature an exhibition curated by Dr. Pedro Cravinho, archivist at the Duke Ellington Society UK,  highlighting memories of the original concert at the Congress Theatre and its importance in Duke Ellington’s final European tour.

Tickets and further details here.

Live: July 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 July 2025 13:00 (BST)

The Duke Ellington Songbook

Echoes of Ellington, directed by Pete Long

Pizza Express, 10, Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3RW

From the website:

Following their sold-out inaugural Dean Street 2023 concert and a follow up successful return last year, we had no hesitation in arranging this further 2025 Summertime return for Pete Long and his Echoes of Ellington Big Band presenting the Duke Ellington Song Book, featuring the sensational voice of Sara Oschlag, echoing the style of the great Ella Fitzgerald.

Book Tickets

Ellington Effect Workshop #53 with David Berger: Warm Valley

Sunday, July 20th 15:00 (EDT)

Join David Berger for the 53rd Zoom webinar in David Berger's Ellington Effect workshop series, which will focus on Ellington's iconic composition Warm Valley. The Ellington Effect workshops are monthly Zoom meetings where David dives into a single composition each time, analyzing it musically line by line, as well as relating pertinent stories about Duke and the band, and answering questions from attendees.  This one will take place on Sunday, July 20th at 3:00pm EDT.

Get a ticket here, or an annual membership here.

About Warm Valley

One of Ellington’s more erogenous titles slyly referring a part the female anatomy, this recording for RCA was originally released on the flipside of Flaming Sword in case there was any question as to Ellington’s meaning.

Although Ellington had written and recorded many ballads before, some of which became hits and eventually standards, like Solitude, In A Sentimental Mood and Sophisticated Lady, it was Warm Valley that captured Billy Strayhorn’s attention and imagination becoming the prototype of all the ballads he wrote for Johnny Hodges. Strayhorn said that both he and Ellington wrote a pile of material for Warm Valley, but Duke didn’t use any of Billy’s music in the final product.

Unlike those other ballads, Warm Valley never became a hit nor were Bob Russell’s geographical lyrics recorded by Ellington. Many years later Johnny Hartman, Alice Babs, Abbey Lincoln, and others did record the lyrics. 

In a perfect use of opposites, Ellington combines a chromatic melody and harmony with a more diatonic accompaniment from the muted brass. Johnny Hodges’ romantic tone and approach is contrasted with Rex Stewart’s more jocular approach.

Due to the slow tempo, the full 72 measures would not fit on a 78-rpm phonograph record. The band recorded three takes on October 17, 1940 experimenting with deleting different sections of ensemble playing from the complete written chart. David Berger reproduced the entire chart as written and planned and transcribed the solo and rhythm section parts from the released recording where possible.