World Jazz Day celebrated at Capstone Theatre

The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra will celebrate World Jazz Day this spring with a special concert at Liverpool's Capstone Theatre.

The April 30 concert is part of the orchestra’s first ever tour, with members going on to play at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival on May 3, where they will headline the free stage.

The 15-piece big band was founded last year – which was also the 125th anniversary of Ellington’s birth and 50th anniversary of his death – and brings together Ellington obsessed musicians from across the region including Cheshire, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, and Manchester.

Directed by acclaimed saxophonist and bandleader Phil Shotton, it is dedicated to celebrating the music of jazz legend Duke Ellington, performing pieces from across his career, from early 1920s Cotton Club dance tunes to the sophisticated suites of the 1950s.

The ensemble performs music largely sourced from The Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra’s ‘Essentially Ellington’ programme, featuring note-for-note transcriptions of historic live performances by The Duke Ellington Orchestra, giving music fans what it describes as “an authentic experience of the timeless brilliance of Ellington and his long-time collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, as they were meant to be heard.”

Shotton says: “This is wonderful music to play, to listen to and to dance to. It sounds as modern and exciting today as the day it was written. We endeavour to capture the excitement and style of these fabulous compositions. It's an incredible experience to bring together such talented musicians to celebrate the genius of Duke Ellington.

“This tour is an exciting milestone for us, bringing the best of the North West to new audiences in Liverpool and at one of the UK's most important Jazz Festivals in Cheltenham.”

The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra appears at the Capstone Theatre in Shaw Street on April 30. Details and tickets HERE