THE NOVEL JAZZ SEPTET will celebrate the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in Phippsburg Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
For several years, Novel Jazz Septet has been mining the musical collections of these jazz giants, a partnership that has resulted in about 3000 original compositions. Through regular trips to the Ellington Collection at the Smithsonian and to the Strayhorn Collection at the University of Chicago, band leader Barney Balch has located original scores of their lesser-known and rarely recorded compositions, which the band studies and arranges for performance.
“It is not uncommon to find their writings, poetry and personal letters mixed in amongst the music in the Smithsonian archives, all of which we weave into the stories of each tune,” Balch said. “We relish bringing this music back to life — but we do it with a 21st century spin.”
Balancing out the rarities will be plenty of classics associated with Ellington and/or Strayhorn, including “Lush Life,” “Take The ‘A’ Train,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Mood Indigo,” and “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”
The ensemble has played many New England venues and festivals including the Boothbay Opera House, Portland’s One Longfellow Square, Portsmouth’s Press Room, Ellsworth’s Grand Theatre, Frontier Theatre, the University of Maine, the Deer Island Jazz Festival, Machias Bay Chamber Concert Series, and has been featured in performance four times on Rich Tozier’s MPBN jazz show.
Phippsburg Congregational Church is located at 10 Church Lane in Phippsburg. Admission at the door is $15; students $8; $12 advance tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com. Children under eight are admitted free. Refreshments will be served. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information call (207) 389-1770.
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