The “Duke Ellington Orchestra”?
The Duke Ellington Orchestra is on Blues Alley's calendar for the weekend of April 18 – 20. The calendar entry lists them as a "Legendary Big Band," and the band's bio describes them as "a national treasure."
The only problem is that Duke Ellington died in 1974. He passed the baton to his son, Mercer, who died in 1996. The current bandleader is Duke's grandson, Paul Mercer Ellington, born four years after Duke's death–and not even a full-time bandleader since he's currently enrolled in the Vancouver Film School's screenwriting program (he already has a degree in film production, suggesting that music is not his first choice for a career). Thus de facto leadership tends to fall on the shoulders of trumpeter Barrie Lee Hall, Jr. Hall was not a member of the band under Duke's leadership, either. In fact, nobody currently in the Duke Ellington Orchestra was there when it was Duke Ellington's orchestra. Very few are even alive, and Clark Terry is the only one left who could have been considered a star.
The band does play Duke's repertoire, although jazz bands who play Ellington are certainly in no short supply.
Just something to take into account if you're considering shelling out $37.75 per person, before Blues Alley's hefty add-on fees, to see a "national treasure" you may not much recognize.
12:35 pm
It's the Ellington ghost band. Just like the Basie band, Glenn Miller band, etc. I would actually love to hear Duke's popular arrangements and suites live, performed by a good band. Then again, the records give you the real thing.
$37.75 before add-ons? This is one of the big reasons why the music is dying. Some have got it to the point where it's no longer for the people. Museum music belongs in a museum. Or at least Lincoln Center.
3:43 pm
Actually, Barrie Lee Hall did play with the band under Duke's leadership. He joined in late 1972. Why don't you at least get your facts straight before encouraging people to not show up.
3:50 pm
I appreciate the correction, Kevin. Although the fact that one person in the band spent 10 months in the band (he joined in mid-1973, according to the bio on his website) during Duke's lifetime, does not suddenly make them worth $37.75 plus processing fee plus food/drink minimum.
9:18 pm
So....it's safe to assume you didn't hear the band?
9:45 pm
I heard what was on the mySpace page.
10:23 pm
I'm taking the liberty of guessing your next question, Kevin.
I have nothing against the actual quality of the music that the so-called Duke Ellington Orchestra is playing. Nothing. But seriously...what we're talking about is basically an hour at Blues Alley--which doesn't let you stay for the second set without paying double--for FIFTY bucks. There's an expectation when people pay that much for a show: not just high-quality music, but high-quality music played by famous musicians.
In this case, the band has the name of the famous musician, without the actual presence of the famous musician; it doesn't even have the less famous musicians who were nonetheless famously associated with that famous musician. At best, it has a man who was in the band for a brief heartbeat of Ellington's career.
Put it this way: if Herbie Williams (Charlie Parker's last trumpeter) had put together a quintet of unknowns with himself as the leader, billed it as the "Charlie Parker Quintet," and charged $37.75, plus surcharge, plus $10 minimum...wouldn't you think that was a bit exorbitant?
3:36 pm
I came across this while taking a break from facebook. I think you're on to some good info here.