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Jazz N Soul Music in partnership with Dapper Street Productions proudly presents “Duke” featuring The Duke Ellington Orchestra! Journey with us back to the golden age of jazz when folks were stompin’ at the Savoy! Don’t miss your chance to experience The Duke Ellington Orchestra when they “swing” through Charlotte to perform at The Booth Playhouse on Saturday, November 5th for two shows; at 4:30pm and 7:30pm.Duke Ellington remains one of the most influential figures in jazz even years after his passing in 1974. He always called his music “American Music” rather than jazz, but many in the industry know him as a jazz icon. The Duke Ellington Orchestra formed in the late 1920s. Ellington remained at the helm as bandleader from 1923 until his death – resulting in a career lasting over 50 years.
He composed over 3,000 songs during his lifetime, including mass favorites like, “Take the A Train”, “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing” and “Sophisticated Lady”. The Duke Ellington Orchestra continues to travel worldwide performing these and several of Ellington’s celebrated classics..
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington born April 29, 1899 is regarded as one of the most prolific American composers of the Twentieth century. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, composing stage musicals, and world tours. 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 best known African American personalities. As both a composer and a band leader, Duke Ellington influenced millions of people both around the world and at home. He gave American music its own sound for the first time. In his fifty year career, he played over 20,000 performances in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East as well as Asia. Ellington led his band from 1923 until his death on May 24, 1974 at the age of 75. At this point, his son Mercer Ellington took leadership of the band.
Mercer was an accomplished trumpet player and composer who wrote many songs for his father’s orchestra including the standard "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." In the early 1980s he became the first conductor for a Broadway musical of his father's music, Sophisticated Ladies. Under his direction he toured and recorded the Orchestra for the next 22 years until his own death in 1996. At this point the baton was passed to Mercer’s youngest son Paul Mercer Ellington who has been leading the orchestra and fearlessly preserving the music and legacy of the great Duke Ellington. The Duke Ellington Orchestra has been performing worldwide for the past 88 years under the guidance of three generations of the Ellington family and will continue to do so for many years to come. For the past three years while Paul is at New York University studying for his Masters degree in Film Production, Charlie Young the very talented alto sax player and arranger and professor at Howard University has been acting as the conductor touring the world leading the Famous Duke Ellington Orchestra.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N Tryon St (Enter Through Founders Hall),Charlotte,NC,United States
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