Articles by Turiya Mareya

Dukaband Plays Ellington at Madrid's Cafe Berlin

by Turiya Mareya
October 28, 2003

On Monday nights, Madrid´s premier jazz venue hosts The Dukaband, an 11 piece group that plays the music of Duke Ellington with a horn line up that includes tuba, trombone, two trumpets, baritone, tenor and alto saxophones.

I went expecting to hear faithful renditions of Duke´s work in the style of the period but quickly realized that the themes and structures of Ellington´s compositions were used as a starting point for wild creativity in approach, orchestrations and style. The group ...