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What happens when the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald meets contemporary composition, improvisation, and the adventurous energy of New York’s new music community?On Friday, November 6, Composers Concordance presents “Ella Fitzgerald Inspired,” an adventurous concert celebrating one of the most influential voices in American music while looking beyond the familiar repertoire to explore the creative possibilities her legacy continues to inspire.
Fitzgerald was celebrated for her extraordinary voice, impeccable swing, inventive scat singing, and seemingly effortless ability to transform a song. This concert takes those qualities not as museum pieces, but as creative provocations — jumping-off points for contemporary composers and performers.
The result is a program where jazz meets contemporary classical music, written composition meets improvisation, and the legendary American songbook meets the unpredictable possibilities of a live ensemble.
A featured work is Gene Pritsker’s Mr. Paganini Scats Variations, a new composition built entirely from the scat material of Ella Fitzgerald’s legendary performance of “You’ll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini).” Pritsker takes Fitzgerald’s virtuosic vocal improvisations as his raw musical material, transforming her scat phrases into the foundation for an entirely new work.
At the center of the evening is Sound Liberation, an eclectic ensemble whose instrumentation alone suggests that this will be no ordinary jazz concert:
Klara Schwabe — voice & piano
Gene Pritsker — guitar
Loki Karuna — bassoon
Moppa Elliott — bass
Andrew Pastorino — drums
The program features music by Dan Cooper, Moppa Elliott, Al Feldman, Ella Fitzgerald, Morgan Lewis, Gene Pritsker, and Klara Schwabe.
With Fitzgerald’s voice as both inspiration and musical source material, “Ella Fitzgerald Inspired” offers a fresh look at the continuing influence of one of America’s greatest musical artists — not simply by revisiting her music, but by using her extraordinary creativity as a catalyst for new music.continues to generate new interpretations.
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Event Details:
CompCord @Harlem Jazz - featuring Sound Liberation
'Ella Fitzgerald Inspired'
Date: Friday, November 6, 2026
Time: 7pm
Venue: Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church
15 Mt Morris Park W, New York City
Composers:
Dan Cooper, Moppa Elliott, Al Feldman, Ella Fitzgerald, Morgan Lewis, Gene Pritsker, Klara Schwabe.
Performers:
Klara Schwabe — voice & piano
Gene Pritsker — guitar
Loki Karuna — bassoon
Moppa Elliott — bass
Andrew Pastorino — drums
TICKETS
$30
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Event venue
Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, 15 Mount Morris Park W,New York, New York, Astoria, United States
Tickets
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