PERFORMANCE

Merkin Hall
What Makes It Great?: It Don't Mea A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, The Music of Duke Ellington

Featuring the virtuosic big band ensemble The Kyle Athayde Dance Party

"This celebration of the 20th century’s greatest jazz composer spans Duke Ellington’s long career, from his wildly original reinventions of his own pop songs in the 1930s to his final studio album in1971.”

"Host Rob Kapilow shows how Ellington continually pushed boundaries, reinventing music of all kinds in his own voice – from the blues to Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” – while bringing the big band tradition to an astonishing creative height that continues to inspire musicians today."