Duke Ellington News

The Western Wind vocal sextet will present Women of Notes - Women's Music, Women's Words on Saturday, March 25 at 8:00 PM in Church of St Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson Street in Manhattan.

The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Verve Label Group and UMe are pleased to announce some of the major initiatives confirmed as part of this year's Ella 100 centennial celebration honoring one of the most beloved and influential vocalists of all time, Ella Fitzgerald. T

Named for alto saxophonist and jazz pioneer Charlie 'Bird' Parker who dubbed it 'The Jazz Corner of the World,' Birdland opened on December 15th 1949. For 60 years it has been home to jazz legends, from Parker, John Coltrane Duke Ellington and Count Basie to Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Diana Krall and everyone in between. The original 52nd street location was a cultural barometer and meeting place, inspiring the songs 'Birdland' and 'Lullaby of Birdland,' and serving as a regular haunt for celebrities and cultural figures. The modern incarnation is a state of the art nightclub featuring award winning Southern and Cajun cuisine, first rate sound and lighting and a who's who of contemporary musical artists, 7 nights a week.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, under the leadership of Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran, continues to celebrate the legacy of jazz artist Mary Lou Williams with the annual Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, May 4, 2017 at 8 p.m. in the Eisenhower Theater. This year's festival will celebrate the musical legacy of vocalist, actor, and civil rights activist and NEA Jazz Master Abbey Lincoln, and features NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, and Music Director and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.

The Gilmore-Hoerner Endowment will present a special, one day only concert, 'A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald' featuring the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg, PA.  Tickets for the event are $12 each, all seats reserved, are currently on sale at the Capitol Theatre at 717-263-0202 or online at www.thecapitoltheatre.org .  The Box Office is open from 11:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Monday thru Friday and one hour prior to show. The theatre is located at 159 S. Main Street in Chambersburg, PA.

Musical greats Chris Vadala and Allen Vizzutti will take the stage at The Hershey Theatre with the Hershey Symphony Orchestra and Hershey Big Band on Today, March 10, 2017 at 8 p.m.

SOULSKIN Dance is proud to present a brand new work SATIN & SWING as part of their 4th Season in San Francisco. Artistic Director and Choreographer Adrianna Thompson seeks to engage audiences in a study of two eras, the 1920s and the present. Dance Mission Theatre transforms into a time machine, transporting us back to the 1920s. Glitz and glam sparkle from the dingy corners of a speakeasy. Raucous jazz blares, bringing bejeweled and sequined dancing flapper girls to life. An evening of indulgence has begun. The entry notes of Prince's 'Erotic City' ring in your ears, an echo from another time. Suddenly you notice the writing on the wall. The crash of overindulgence is imminent.

SOULSKIN Dance will present a brand new work SATIN & SWING as part of their 4th Season in San Francisco.

Ballet Chicago celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Ballet Chicago Studio Company (BCSC) with a concert program featuring a world premiere by choreographer Frank Chaves and revivals of works by George Balanchine, Ballet Chicago Founder and Artistic Director Dan Duell, and Resident Choreographer Ted Seymour. Performances are Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago.

The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) and Jazz Foundation of America will co-present Stanley Jordan on Today, March 9, 2017 at 8pm at BAC's Jerome Robbins Theater. Among the most gifted guitarists of his generation, Jordan is master of the two-handed tapping technique, using the neck of the guitar like a keyboard rather than strumming or picking. Applying this astonishing technique, or "touch style" in another setting, Jordan also performs on both guitar and piano at the same time, playing chords and melodies with his hands on separate instruments and uniquely melding the two sounds into one. More than a technical phenomenon, Jordan conveys an astounding depth of musical expression through a multi-faceted solo repertoire, ranging from bold reinventions of classical masterpieces to improvisational contemporary works. At BAC, Jordan will be joined for several songs by his daughter, New York City-based singer/songwriter Julia Jordan.

John Pizzarelli returns to Cafe Carlyle with an all-new show celebrating iconic singer-songwriter Johnny Mercer, April 25 - May 6. The New York Times recently described John Pizzarelli and his wife Jessica Molaskey as "the supreme nightclub act of our time." Specifically, Jazz Weekly recently raved about John Pizzarelli's Johnny Mercer program: "A gig like this oozes with style, class and fun, with Pizzarelli being one of the best ambassadors for the Great American Songbook. One of his best."At the Cafe, he'll perform Johnny's most recognizable hits as well as lesser-known gems such as "Jamboree Jones" and "Slue Foot."

Bryan Cumming, a jazz-Americana artist who has recorded with popular acts such as Al Jarreau and The Pointer Sisters, has released a new CD that pays tribute to the classic songs and legendary jazz artists of the Silent Generation.

The Virginia Arts Festival presents Brooklyn-based dance company Urban Bush Women (UBW) in the world premiere of Hair and Other Stories on Saturday, April 22 at 8 p.m. at the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia. Tickets are $20-$35, available online at vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822 or at the Virginia Arts Festival box, 440 Bank St., Norfolk (10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday).

The Gateway is thrilled to announce its 2017 Season! The Gateway's new season features five dazzling Broadway hits: RENT, Swing!, On the Town, Mamma Mia!, and Little Shop of Horrors. Tickets start at $59 and go on sale to the public on Tuesday, March 21 at 10am. Student and youth prices are available for select shows. Full Season Subscription Memberships are available now through March 20th.  Season Subscription memberships include tickets to all five Main Stage shows and exclusive membership perks. For more information, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133, or visit the website at TheGateway.org.

Artistic and Executive Director, Paul Hart today announces the company for his new production of Twelfth Night continuing The Watermill Theatre's bold, ensemble driven approach to Shakespeare. Twelfth Night runs from 6 April to 6 May and in repertoire with Hart's 2016 production of Romeo + Juliet from 18 to 22 July. Both productions will tour nationally from Tuesday 16 May to Thursday 3 August

DRUMLine Live, the show-stopping attraction created by the musical team behind 20th Century Fox's hit movies "Drumline" and "Drumline: A New Beat," parades onto the Capitol Center for the Arts mainstage on Today, March 7 at 7:30PM. This show is one of several William H. Giles Series performances during the CCA's 2016-17 season.

Uncharted: A Live Performance Series continues at Greenwich House Music School this spring wit Dan Tepfer and Aaron Diehl: Duo Piano on Thursday, April 27 at 8:00 pm.

The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts (DECFA) will present a special screening of Duke Ellington's rarely seen TV special, A Drum Is A Woman at the Paley Center for Media (25 West 52nd Street) on Friday, March 24, from 3:00 to 4:45 PM. The event is the second installment in DECFA's new MOOD ELLINGTON series of special programs focusing on the musical legacy of Duke Ellington -- America's most productive composer of the 20th century.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for March 13-March 19, including Kurt Rosenwinkel and Caipi CD Release Celebration, "Songwriter Circle" featuring Paul Scott Goodman, Neil Berg, Gabe Violett, Rita Harvey, Selda Said & Derek Gregor, Eric Comstock, and more. Scroll down for details!

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 2016-17 season on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 8pm with GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz singer Patti Austin performing Ella Now and Then: A Centennial Celebration of the First Lady of Song. This tribute concert marks the 100th birthday of the great Ella Fitzgerald (born April 25, 1917) and will feature selections from Ms. Austin's 2002 album For Ella, including timeless standards such as 'How High the Moon,' 'Too Close for Comfort,' and 'The Man I Love.'Tickets range from $36 to $55 and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm).