Free Outdoor Tribute Will Celebrate The Legacy Of Duke Ellington
The event is on Sunday, September 28, from 2–4 PM.
By: Stephi Wild Jul. 09, 2025
A special tribute to legendary composer and bandleader Duke Ellington will take place on Sunday, September 28, from 2–4 PM at the Duke Ellington Statue, located at 5th Avenue and 110th Street in Harlem, Manhattan. This free, outdoor event is presented by The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts in collaboration with the American Tap Dance Foundation.
The celebration will be co-hosted by Mercedes Ellington—granddaughter of Duke Ellington and Founder and Artistic Director of The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts—and Tony Waag, Founding Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation.
The afternoon concert will feature a performance by The Duke Ellington Center Big Band (musical director Eli Yamin), delivering timeless Ellington compositions and beloved jazz standards. Joining the festivities will be a lineup of guest musicians, dancers, and vocalists, showcasing a vibrant fusion of jazz and tap dance that reflects Ellington's profound influence on American music and the performing arts.
The cast for this special event includes dancers DeWitt Fleming Jr., AC Lincoln, Max Pollak, and Karen Callaway Williams. Featured vocalists are Marion Cowings, Nicholas King, Antoinette Montague, and Sharon K. Janda. Completing the program are stilt walker Mark Mindek and actor Miles Purinton.
This event is free and open to the public.
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