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
Thanks to all who attended our AGM on Saturday the 1st of June in central London, and congratulations to our new Committee!
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.
Frank Griffith Upcoming Gigs
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!
* Ely Sat 15th June 2024
* Harlow Sun 13th October 2024
More details on the website: https://www.harmonyinharlem.co.uk/
Recent posts
Running out of Ellington (or Jazz in general) to listen to? Here are a few suggestions from around the web:
Got any more suggetions? Post them in our Discord chatroom at https://discord.gg/efQNUMa
A Spotify playlist and details of tracks from ‘The Mysterious Rabbit’.
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.
DESUK is now on Twitter @dukesocuk! Where better to start tweeting than Flirtibird?
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 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 (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.
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
Thanks to all how who attended our meeting. Anthony picked out a favourite tune: Hot Feet
We have a new website! And we’re new on Facebook too. Here’s something jumpin’ to celebrate.
