Welcome to DESUK

The Duke Ellington Society UK’s purpose is to further the study, appreciation and dissemination of the music of Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington.

We meet regularly in London to listen and socialise, and new arrivals are always welcome.

Our house publication Blue Light is released quarterly. The content is wide ranging and we are fortunate to have amongst our members jazz authors, journalists and critics, and equally fortunate to have many enthusiastic members who, because of their own deep interest, have become expert in particular niches of Ellingtonia.

AGM 2024 - New Date!

We’re planning on having an Annual General Meeting on Saturday the 1st of June, at the Model Railway Club in central London. Please note the new date. More details closer to the time. Please come along and get involved if you can - it’s fun, honest! If you want to be involved, or join the committee, but can’t attend, please get in touch with us anyway. We’ll sort something out.

DESUK TV: Uptown Lockdown

Episodes are available on YouTube.

For more details on how to view and participate, or to make a donation to support the show, are on the Uptown Lockdown page.

Chat to us

We’re chatting online using Discord - join us at https://discord.gg/efQNUMa.

Non-society events

Got a gig coming up with an Ellington element? Pop us an email and we can publicise via our website.

Many of our members are musicians who perform Ellington material: * Frank Griffith: saxophonist, clarinettist, composer and educator. Find out more at www.frankgriffith.co.uk. * Quentin Bryar plays for the Louisiana Rhythm Kings. See louisianarhythmkings.co.uk.

New: North West Duke Ellington Orchestra

The first gig by a new big band playing only Ellington/Strayhorn. 25th March at 8pm. / Christ The King Parish Centre / Score Lane, Liverpool L16 6AW / Free Entry.

Frank Griffith Upcoming Gigs

Please check www.frankgriffith.co.uk in case these details change.

Date/Time: 3 March, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 5 March, 9.30PM Venue: Frederiks Bar, 32 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BX Featuring: Frank Griffith Nonet Info: www.frederikshopestreet.com Admission: Free


Date/Time: 1 April, 4PM Venue: Nantwich Festival. Crown Hotel, Nantwich High Street, CW5 SAS Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio with Richard Wetherall piano, Johnny Mac, bass Info: www.nantwichjazz.com Admission: Free


Date/Time: 12 April, 7.30PM Venue: The Gallery. 455 Smithdown Road, L15 3JL Featuring: Frank Griffith and Poetrio. Mike Hughes, drums, Ben Parkinson, Keys. Jazz amongst the Poets Info: www.smithdownsocial.co.uk Admission: Free


Date/Time: 26 April, 7.30PM Venue: The Gallery. 455 Smithdown Road, L15 3JL Featuring: Frank Griffith and Poetrio. Mike Hughes, drums, Ben Parkinson, Keys. Jazz amongst the Poets Info: www.smithdownsocial.co.uk Admission: Free


Date/Time: 10 May, 7.30PM Venue: The Gallery. 455 Smithdown Road, L15 3JL Featuring: Frank Griffith and Poetrio. Mike Hughes, drums, Ben Parkinson, Keys. Jazz amongst the Poets Info: www.smithdownsocial.co.uk Admission: Free


Date/Time: 12 May, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 7 July, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 13 July, 8PM Venue: Zeffirelli’s. Compston Road, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9AD Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio with Mike Hughes- vibraphone, Tom Sykes piano Info: www.zeffirellis.com, 01539 433845 Admission: £4


Date/Time: 27 October, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 1 September, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 5 November, 8PM Venue: Morley Green Club. Mobberly Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 SNT Featuring: Frank Griffith Nonet Info: 01625 525224 Admission: Free


Date/Time: 22 December, 3-5PM Venue: Hightown Pub and Kitchen, Alt Road, Hightown, Liverpool, L38 0BA Featuring: Frank Griffith Trio Info: 0151 929 2492 Admission: Free


Harmony In Harlem

Three concerts to look forward to! * Cambridge Saturday 23rd March * Ely Sat 15th June 2024 * Harlow Sun 13th October 2024

More details on the website: https://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/

Recent Tweets

Recent posts

Edward Green: Delighting in the Duke

All About Jazz recently published an extensive interview with Edward Green, Professor at Manhattan School of Music and the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Duke Ellington.

Ellington’s… masterpieces are vibrant evidence that opposite aspects of ourselves are meant to work together. And when they do, the result is beauty. – Edward Green

Enjoy it here.

Rabbit's Blues

Oxford University Press presents Con Chapman’s new biography of the great saxophonist and Ellington frontman Johnny Hodges.

As the first ever biography on Johnny Hodges, Rabbit’s Blues details his place as one of the premier artists of the alto sax in jazz history, and his role as co-composer with Ellington.

The estimated release date is early November; look out for a review in a future Blue Light.

CBS Tribute to Duke Ellington

CBS ran this tribute to Duke Ellington in 1974. Featuring interviews with Sonny Greer, Russell Procope, Billy Taylor and Ella Fitzgerald and preceded by an advert for a film by the other Duke (John Wayne), and to be enjoyed not only for its footage of the maestro but for the very best in mid-1970s TV advertising.

Dr John 1941 - 2019

Dr John (Malcolm John Rebennack Jr.) passed away on June 6, 2019. Among his extensive discography he leaves us an album of Ellington covers, Duke Elegant. Here’s a fun one. Check out an fascinating reworking of The Flaming Sword on the same album.

Upcoming Conference: Documenting Jazz 2020

Birmingham is hosting 2020’s Documenting Jazz conference in January.

Birmingham City University is pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the Documenting Jazz conference, to be held on 16–18 January 2020. Now in its second year, Documenting Jazz brings together colleagues from across the academic, archive, library, and museum sectors to explore and discuss documenting jazz.

More details at documentingjazz.com

Ron Drotos on Ellington

Spotted over at Ron Drotos’ wesbsite: The Beginner’s Guide To Duke Ellington. A nice introductory article with some good selections. One to share with Ellington newcomers.

Ron told us:

I got on board the Ellington train in the early 1980s, when I was 17-18 years old. My piano teacher Billy Taylor had known Ellington and Strayhorn and used to make me cassettes of out-of-print albums of theirs.

There are a few more Ellington-related blog posts on the site, including the surprising similarity between Duke Ellington, Keith Jarrett, and Elton John, as well as guides to playing some of the songs. We look forward to more!