FREE OUTDOOR TRIBUTE CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF DUKE ELLINGTON at Duke Ellington Statue

A special tribute to legendary composer and bandleader Duke Ellington will be presented at at the Duke Ellington Statue, 5th Ave. and 110th Street in NYC, Sept. 28 from 2-4pm.

The free, outdoor 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 includes dancers DeWitt Fleming Jr., AC Lincoln, Max Pollak, and Karen Callaway Williams. Vocalists include Marion Cowings, Nicholas King, Antoinette Montague and Sharon K. Janda.

This event is free and open to the public.

This project is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the following funding agencies: the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the Howard Gilman Foundation. Creative Engagement is administered by LMCC.