NOVEL JAZZ will perform in Damariscotta on Sept. 15.
The Novel Jazz Septet will perform an evening of jazz by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn at the Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta, in the library’s atrium, on Sept. 15 from 7-9:30 p.m. The band has been performing at Skidompha for 12 years, and doing Ellington and Strayhorn concerts around Maine for the last seven. The musicians of this group have been playing straight-ahead jazz for audiences throughout Maine for several decades. Collectively, they share over two centuries of experience in the jazz idiom.
Novel Jazz events at Skidompha began with the observation that lovers of books often are lovers of jazz.
It was while performing at Skidompha that the band decided to forge deeper into the music of Duke Ellington and his musical collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Trombonist Barney Balch began regular visits to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. to work in the Duke Ellington collection, digging out gems by both Ellington and Strayhorn, bringing them back to life in summer time concerts. Trumpeter Michael Mitchell and alto saxophonist Bryan Jones also contribute many scores to the mix.
Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $7 for young adults 12-18 and those under 12 accompanied by a parent go free. The library is located at 184 Main St. in downtown Damariscotta. Call (207) 563- 5513 during business hours for more information. For more information, go to skidompha.org or mainejazz.net.
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