Duke Ellington News

Birdland Jazz Club has just announced its January 2016 schedule, featuring Stacey Kent, Jeff Lorber Fusion, The Birdland Big Band, Musette Explosion, Showbiz After Hours with Frank DiLella, Mack Avenue Superband, Birdland Jazz Party, Jim Caruso's Cast Party and more. Scroll down for details!

Swing revival group, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, will bring its trademark sound to The Orleans Showroom tonight and tomorrow, Dec. 29-30.

The Jewish Museum will present Oran Etkin's Timbalooloo in two special concerts for families today, December 25 at 11:30 am and 2 pm. Etkin will be presenting a new production, 'Sing Sing Sing - Benny Goodman in the Kingdom of Swing,' incorporating music from Etkin's new CD for adults, What's New? Reimagining Benny Goodman, and playing it in a child-friendly way. Together with a full band, Etkin take kids on an adventure through the Kingdom of Swing, meeting King Oliver, Duke Ellington, and a little boy named Benny Goodman who grows up to become the King of Swing. Just as Benny Goodman was welcomed by the regal masters that came before him, children too are encouraged to express themselves and find their own voices in the Kingdom of Swing through this fun and interactive concert experience.

MAURICE HINES TAPPIN' THRU LIFE is a swinging, song and dance musical that celebrates the astonishing showmanship of one of the last great tap dancers of a by-gone era still working today and whose collaborators were a jaw-dropping, who's who of theatre, music, film and television. Co-starring the fierce tap dancing Manzari brothers and the all female vivacious Diva Jazz Orchestra, the show is directed by Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West's Big River, Grease). Performances begin tonight, December 23rd at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street), and opening night is Monday, January 11th. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Hines in action below!

Back by popular demand, ON KENTUCKY AVENUE: A Celebration of Atlantic City's Historic Club Harlem returns to City College's performing arts center Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, February 19, for a three-day encore engagement. The show, which shines a red-hot spotlight on a little-known piece of Black history, is presented by the City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) and Byron and Sylvia Lewis. An audience favorite, last February, the production was created by Jeree Wade and directed and written by Adam Wade with Ty Stephens. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show!

He's going to put a smile on your face and song in your heart.

Three Sephardic-themed productions -- two Shakespeare classics and a Verdi opera -- will be presented in early 2016 Off-Broadway in the theater located at the Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16 St.) in New York City, starting with MERCHANT OF VENICE January 13-21, followed by NABUCCO April 6-17 and OTHELLO June 16-30.

He's going to put a smile on your face and song in your heart. MAURICE HINES TAPPIN' THRU LIFE is a swinging, song and dance musical that celebrates the astonishing showmanship of one of the last great tap dancers of a by-gone era still working today and whose collaborators were a jaw-dropping, who's who of theatre, music, film and television. Co-starring the fierce tap dancing Manzari brothers and the all female vivacious Diva Jazz Orchestra, the show is directed byJeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West's Big River, Grease). Performances begin Wednesday, December 23rd at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street), and opening night is Monday, January 11th.

'Duke Ellington: Composer Beyond Category' is an exciting, hand-clapping, finger-snapping, dynamic musical journey from the Jazz clubs of Harlem and the Apollo Theater, to the downtown night clubs and Broadway stages, with The Duke Ellington Center Big Band under the direction of Mercedes Ellington. The performance will be held in the Sitnik Theater of Centenary Stage Company's Lackland Center on Saturday, January 16 at 2pm.

With the holiday season upon us how wonderful it is to experience the joyful celebration of friendship. In their recent sold out performance (December 17th at Don't Tell Mama), the attractive girl-power singing duo, Kim Grogg and Kim Sutton, examine the true meaning of friendship from a decidedly female point of view. Gracing the stage spectacularly dressed in shades of sparkling silver and platinum grey, these two alluring ladies begin the evening by conjuring up a bit of their own "Magic" (John Farrar). Grogg informs the audience that she and Sutton had previously met in cabaret class, but pretty much solidified their fast and furious friendship this past summer after having survived the "ultimate cabaret boot camp" at The Eugene O'Neill Cabaret Conference.

The Western Wind vocal sextet will present Holiday Light - Joyous Music of Chanukkah and Christmas tonight, December 19 at 8:00 PM in Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium, 417 East 61st Street in Manhattan.

Pasadena Symphony's annual Holiday Candlelight concert returns to All Saints Church today, December 19, 2015. Having sold out the past four years in a row, the concert will offer two performances to meet community demand at 4:00 pm & 7:00 pm.

He's going to put a smile on your face and song in your heart. MAURICE HINES TAPPIN' THRU LIFE is a swinging, song and dance musical that celebrates the astonishing showmanship of one of the last great tap dancers of a by-gone era still working today and whose collaborators were a jaw-dropping, who's who of theatre, music, film and television. Co-starring the fierce tap dancing Manzari brothers and the all female vivacious Diva Jazz Orchestra, the show is directed byJeff Calhoun (Newsies, Deaf West's Big River, Grease). Performances begin Wednesday, December 23rd at New World Stages (340 W. 50th Street), and opening night is Monday, January 11th.

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with the following acts:

Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) has created 'The New World Symphony: Dvorak in America,' a play chronicling the American years (1892-1895) of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, during which he produced a flurry of 'American' works. This puppet theater work is rich in classical and original music (played live!) and dramatizes one of the most significant cultural exchanges in American history. GOH Productions and Dvorak-American Heritage Association (DAHA) will present the piece as a work in progress January 30 and 31, 2016 at Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street (Upper East Side). This production is preparatory to the play's upcoming world premiere run, which will be presented by La Mama Experimental Theatre, 66 East 4th Street (East Village), six weeks later: from March 10 to 27, 2016 (see more info below). The play is conceived and directed by Vit Horejs. Composer and Musical Director is saxophonist James Brandon Lewis.

The Winter Park Playhouse kicks off ?the new year with a Central Florida Premiere - I Left My Heart: A Salute To The Music Of Tony Bennett. The production runs January 22 - February 27, 2016.  Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m. and select Wednesday, Friday and Sunday matinees at 2: 00 p.m. The preview performance is Thursday, January 21 at 7:30p.m.

Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) has created 'The New World Symphony: Dvorak in America,' a play chronicling the American years (1892-1895) of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak, during which he produced a flurry of 'American' works. GOH Productions and Dvorak-American Heritage Association (DAHA) will present the piece as a work in progress January 30 and 31, 2016 at Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street (Upper East Side). This production is preparatory to the play's upcoming world premiere run, which will be presented by La Mama Experimental Theatre, 66 East 4th Street (East Village), six weeks later: from March 10 to 27, 2016 (see more info below). The play is conceived and directed by Vit Horejs. Composer and Musical Director is saxophonist James Brandon Lewis. Scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the puppets!

Music permeates Centenary Stage Company's Lackland Center during the month of January with the January THAW Music Festival. Featuring the music of legends and some of New York's hottest artists this year's festival includes; 'Duke Ellington: Composer Beyond Category' by The Duke Ellington Center Big Band under the direction of Mercedes Ellington, the Bria Skonberg Quintet and 'An Oscar Moment' with the Matt Baker Quartet.

'THE COUNT MEETS THE DUKE: THE ANDERSONS PLAY BASIE AND ELLINGTON' is now on stage at 59e59th Theatres. It is a musical treat this holiday season for jazz lovers and many more.

Birdland Jazz Club has just announced its January 2016 schedule, featuring Stacey Kent, Jeff Lorber Fusion, The Birdland Big Band, Musette Explosion, Showbiz After Hours with Frank DiLella, Mack Avenue Superband, Birdland Jazz Party, Jim Caruso's Cast Party and more. Scroll down for details!