CENTENNIAL OF DUKE ELLINGTON’S FIRST RECORDING
NOVEMBER 2 & 3 AT 21:00 & 14:00
It was in a New York City studio, during the first weekend of November 1924, that Duke Ellington made his very first recordings. Accompanying singer Alberta Prime and ‘The Washingtonians’ on piano, Ellington embarked on a 50-year recording career. He made an estimated 10,000 recordings, either in the studio or on the concert stage, that continue to inspire us today. A century onward – on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 21:00 – Stingray DJAZZ broadcasts two European concerts by the legendary pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. In a scintillating 1958 appearance at Paris’ Salle Pleyel, Ellington and his orchestra celebrated his newly rediscovered popularity. A late-career concert at Brussels’ Théâtre Marni from 1973 proves the maestro’s creativity never waned. On November 3, 2024, from 14:00, Stingray DJAZZ reflects on the continued relevance of Ellington’s legacy by dedicating the afternoon to the International Duke Ellington Conference Amsterdam, where Ellington's music is recreated to explore his musical aims, creative process, and style. Among the conference’s many highlights is a reconstruction of Ellington’s suite 'Black, Brown and Beige', performed by the Conservatory Big Band. Celebrate a century of Ellington on Stingray DJAZZ!
Duke Ellington - Salle Pleyel, Paris
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 AT 21:00
American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington was a major figure of the golden age of jazz. He gained national attention in the late 1920s when his ensemble was the house band at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City. With his orchestra, he made hundreds of recordings. Seen here at Paris' Salle Pleyel in November 1958, his concert features amazing performances by Ellington and his orchestra of “Such Sweet Thunder”, and “Newport Up”, featuring wonderful solos of Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Clark Terry (trumpet), and Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone). Naturally, the concert closes with Ellington’s signature tune, “Take the ‘A’ Train”, composed by Ellington's frequent collaborator Billy Strayhorn.
Duke Ellington: Jazz from Newport, Brussels, 1973
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 AT 21:30
In 1956, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra performed a legendary set at the third annual Newport Jazz Festival. It was tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves’ outstanding 27-chorus solo on “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” that revitalized Ellington’s career. The success generated during that performance carried him for the rest of his life. By 1973, festivals carrying the Newport name were organized all over the world. Less than a year before his death, Ellington and his Orchestra, with Gonsalves still in the fold, appeared in Brussels to deliver a timeless performance before a highly appreciative crowd.
On The Road With Duke Ellington: I
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 AT 14:00
In May 2014, the Conservatory of Amsterdam hosted a unique conference about one of the greatest jazz composers of the 20th century: Duke Ellington. Musicologists and musicians with a special bond with Ellington and his music spoke about his life and music. Among them were David Schiff, author of ‘The Ellington Century’, and Harvey Cohen, author of ‘Duke Ellington’s America’. Moreover, concerts were played by jazz pianist Matt Cooper, the Calefax Reed Quintet, and the Concert Big Band of the Conservatory of Amsterdam conducted by David Berger. The winner of the Boy Edgar Prize 2013, viola player Oene van Geel, performed his ‘All Ellington Project’.
On The Road With Duke Ellington: II
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 AT 14:50
In May 2014, the Conservatory of Amsterdam hosted a unique conference about one of the greatest jazz composers of the 20th century: Duke Ellington. Musicologists and musicians with a special bond with Ellington and his music spoke about his life and music. Among them were David Schiff, author of ‘The Ellington Century’, and Harvey Cohen, author of ‘Duke Ellington’s America’. Moreover, concerts were played by jazz pianist Matt Cooper, the Calefax Reed Quintet, and the Concert Big Band of the Conservatory of Amsterdam conducted by David Berger. The winner of the Boy Edgar Prize 2013, viola player Oene van Geel, performed his ‘All Ellington Project’.
