With "Single Petal of a
Rose", the talent-laden Duke Ellington Legacy offers an insightful tour
through a program of masterpieces by Ellington and his inimitable creative
partner, Billy Strayhorn. A nine-piece multi-generational ensemble founded by
guitarist Edward Kennedy Ellington II, Duke's grandson, the Legacy explores
sublime ballads, hard-charging flag wavers, lustrous tone poems and sultry
vocals, channeling an essentially Ellingtonian spirit from a contemporary
perspective. With savvy music direction by saxophonist Virginia Mayhew and
brilliant arrangements by pianist Norman Simmons, the band fully adheres to
Duke's prime directive, swinging as if their lives depended on it.
New Orleans jazz luminary Dr. Michael White returns with "Adventures in New
Orleans Jazz, Part 2", which lays much closer to its roots than the
internationally spiced Part 1. A propelling force of classic New Orleans jazz,
the unique experiences that the clarinetist has had throughout his career
paired with his ability to articulate the significance and timelessness of the
music has made him a highly influential voice. In addition to receiving the
NEA's National Heritage Fellowship Award, White was named Louisiana Humanist of
the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and he also won the
Offbeat Magazine Best of the Beat Award as Clarinetist of the Year, and Gambit
Magazine's Big Easy Entertainment Award for Traditional Jazz Artist of the
Year.
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