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Duke Ellington Orchestra
Duke Ellington Orchestra: Big Bands Live
by Dan McClenaghan
By 1967, the heyday of the big band was over. Rock and Roll ruled as the popular music of the day, and the financial challenges of keeping a large ensemble together for recording--and especially touring--were huge. But Duke Ellington--one of American's finest bandleaders, pianists, and composers--was more than just a genius in the field of music. He also succeeded as a business man, keeping his orchestra not only busy on the road, but also creating his finest art--what he called ...
read moreDuke Ellington Orchestra: The Treasury Shows, Vol. 1
by Dave Nathan
On April 7, 1945, Duke Ellington begand a series of shows sponsored by the U. S. Treasury Department which ended 45 shows later on October 5, 1946. These albums were released by Sweden's Phontastic label's Nostalgia Series beginning in the early 1980's. Now almost 20 years later, Denmark's excellent Storyville label begins an undertaking to reissue all of these sessions on CD. Not a favorable commentary on our domestic labels when important sessions of this country's greatest composer have to ...
read moreJazz This Week: Dr. Lonnie Smith, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Boney James, the St. Louis Jazz Cafe's Grand Opening, and More
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Better weather, the official onset of spring, and a nicely varied slate of musical attractions make this a good week in St. Louis to get out and hear some live jazz and creative music.Here's a chronological look at the highlights of the next seven days, starting with veteran jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith (pictured), who opened last night and plays through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.For this visit to St. Louis, Smith is joined by ...
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