Events

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington’s life and career is the stuff of legend. From his early tenure at the Cotton Club, where he learned to masterfully straddle the line between art and entertainment, to a legendary performance in 1956 at the Newport Jazz Festival that reignited his career at a time when many thought he had become irrelevant and obscure, Ellington was a genius of modern music, shaping and reshaping jazz as we know it. His rich and diverse repertoire has always been a go-to for discriminating musicians. Join bandleader and pianist Noel Freidline, vocalist Maria Howell, and their stellar band as they bring Ellington’s music to life at the CMA, putting their trademark spin on some of the greatest jazz compositions of all time.