Special Event A NIGHT AT THE ELLINGTON Will Be Presented at The Ellington Restaurant This Month

Tony Waag, Executive Director of The American Tap Dance Foundation, and Mercedes Ellington, CEO/Artistic Director of The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts, announced a special event on Sunday, April 30 honoring the birthday of jazz great Duke Ellington at The Ellington Restaurant, 2745 Broadway (105th St and Broadway) in NYC, 6-9pm. Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899.

The evening will feature performances by vocalists Marion Cowings, Sharon K. Janda and Antoinette Montague, and tap dancers A.C. Lincoln, Karen Callaway Williams plus surprise guests. The April birthdays of musical and theatrical greats will be acknowledged. There is no cover charge, but reservations are required.

"Duke Ellington was a key figure in perpetuating the idea that tap dance is music, and tap dancers are musicians that create music with their feet. Tap and jazz are undeniably attached at the hip, and Duke Ellington created a marriage between the two," said Mr. Waag, curator of the tap dance portion of the program. Duke Ellington was inducted into the American Tap Dance Foundation's International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which honors and preserves the legacy of Duke Ellington through performance and educational outreach. The Center focuses on scholarship, education, and documentation of accurate Ellington history, through performances connected to the legacy of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974). Considered one of America's greatest composers with over 3,000 compositions, Duke Ellington is a seminal figure in the history of American music, renowned the world over.

Duke Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category." He remains one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music and is widely considered as one of the twentieth century's most prolific composer and best-known African American personalities. As both a composer and bandleader, Ellington's reputation increased since his death, with the continuous thematic repackaging of his signature music, often becoming best sellers. Posthumous recognition of his work includes a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board. Duke Ellington Milestones include:

· President Lyndon Johnson presented Duke Ellington with the President's Gold Medal in 1966.

· President Richard M. Nixon presented Duke Ellington with the Medal of Freedom in 1969.

· Duke Ellington received 13 Grammy Awards.

· Duke Ellington received the Pulitzer Prize

· He was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1973.

· The United States Post Office issued a Commemorative Stamp with his image on it in 1986.

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