Novel Jazz Septet photo by Elaine Jones
UPCOMING NOVEL JAZZ CONCERTS OF ELLINGTON AND STRAYHORN. Novel Jazz Septet will be performing a series of concerts featuring the great works of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn between July and September. Bring your dancing shoes! See why Aimsal Ponti of the Portland Press Herald says, “These are all seasoned jazz guys, and the result is a sound that made me sway, smile, groove, slow-dance with myself around the living room and play the air snare drums.” Novel Jazz travels far and wide, keeping the spirit of Duke and ‘Sweet Pea alive and swinging!
NOVEL JAZZ SUMMER CONCERTS TO FEATURE ELLINGTON AND STRAYHORN
The Novel Jazz Septet will be performing eight concerts throughout Maine between July and September featuring the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the most celebrated pillars of the jazz world. The band will perform both traditional standards plus some of their lesser-known compositions, transcribed from original scores out of the Smithsonian archives in Washington, D.C. Rich with stories, they’ll transport you behind each tune for the history of the composers who shaped all of jazz. Novel Jazz has been featured multiple times on public radio for both live performances as well as news stories, all part of their mission to explore this enormous musical legacy. They’ll be recording their third CD this summer, as well as traveling far and wide, keeping the spirit of Duke and ‘Sweet Pea alive and swinging!
The basic details of the concerts (with contact phone numbers and web address for more info) are:
17 July (Thursday); Camden Library amphitheater 7PM; (207) 236-3440; www.librarycamden.org/
24 July (Thursday)- Harpswell Bandstand; 6 PM; (207) 833-5771; www.harpswell.maine.gov/
2 August (Saturday); Saco River Theater 7:30 PM; (207) 929-6472;http://www.sacorivertheatre.org/
3 August (Sunday); Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, 5:30 PM; Rain date Monday, 4 August, 2014; (207) 799-3134); http://www.innbythesea.com/
8 August (Friday) -Boothbay Opera House; 7:30PM; (207) 633-6855; www.boothbayoperahouse.com/
6 September (Saturday); Bristol Congregational Church; 7PM; (207) 563-6843; www.ccobucc.org/
13 September (Saturday), Frontier Cafe, Brunswick; 8 PM; (207) 725-5222; www.explorefrontier.com
27 September (Saturday; One Longfellow Square; Matinee 2PM; (207) 761-1757; www.onelongfellowsquare.com/
The musicians of Novel Jazz have been playing straight-ahead jazz for audiences throughout Maine (and beyond) for several decades and collectively, they share over two centuries of experience in the jazz idiom. Performing will be Barney Balch (trombone), Dave Clarke (guitar), Mickey Felder (piano), Wells Gordon (acoustic bass), Bryan Jones (Alto Saxophone), Mark Macksoud (drums) and Michael Mitchell (trumpet). For more details about any performance (directions, admission, ticket availability, etc.) contact the respective venue. We encourage parents to bring their children, the future of this art form.
These concerts include unique tunes, with some of the compositions being performed for first time in decades. This year marks the 10-year anniversary that Novel Jazz has been performing dedicated concerts of Ellington and Strayhorn. If you haven’t heard the band in a while, come see what the decade has done for Novel Jazz!