Honoring and preserving the legacy of Duke Ellington
Such Sweet Thunder – A Shakespearean Jazz Holiday Celebration
Photograph by Kyle Martin
Such Sweet Thunder – A Shakespearean Jazz Holiday Celebration, directed by Mercedes Ellington and Tony Waag, was a fully staged, electrifying realization of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s 1957 jazz suite, earning three standing ovations for its seamless fusion of jazz, dance, and Shakespearean drama.
At its core was the Duke Ellington Center Big Band, led by musical director and pianist Eli Yamin, featuring Shawn Edmonds, Michael Cruse, Mark Jon McGowan, and James Zollar (trumpets); Jason Curry, Langston Hughes II, Chris Byars, Jason Marshall, and Jay Brandford (saxophones/woodwinds); Jason Jackson, Alex Jeun, and Becca Patterson (trombones); Jennifer Vincent (bass); Alvester Garnett (drums); and Sandra Billingslea (violin), delivering a masterful, expressive performance.
The cast brought Shakespeare’s characters vividly to life: Karen Callaway Williams (Lady Macbeth), DeWitt Fleming Jr. (Macbeth), Marion Cowings (Othello), AC Lincoln (Prince Hal), Mark Mindek (Caesar), Antoinette Montague (Sister Kate), Max Pollak (Hamlet), Miles Purinton (Puck), and Luce Burrell (Lute Player), joined by the Precision Dancers—Karyn Tomczak, Mary Lilygren-Kane, Stephanie Bishop, and Vanessa Gutierrez-McMahan—as the Witches, and ballroom couples Ema Nohalova & Michael Choi, Jennifer Murmylo & Rafal Pustelny, Akemi Kinukawa & Ray Davis, and Danai Avloniti & Milos Jadzic, whose movement added lyrical depth and dramatic sweep.
WBGO’s The Art of the Story, hosted by Doug Doyle, has gone podcast — offering listeners a unique glimpse into the world of arts and entertainment. In a recent episode titled “Such Sweet Thunder”, Doyle interviews Mercedes Ellington, granddaughter of the legendary Duke Ellington, about a special concert honoring her grandfather’s life and music.
Listen to the full podcast episode: WBGO: The Art of the Story – Mercedes Ellington on Such Sweet Thunder
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Photograph by Kyle Martin
Preserving the Legacy of Duke Ellington
Considered one of America's greatest composers, arrangers, and bandleaders, with over 3,000 compositions attributed to him, Duke Ellington is a seminal figure in the history of American music. It is our honor to preserve his legacy through education, documentation, and performance.
Photograph by Kyle Martin
“Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.”
— Duke Ellington