The Berklee 2005–2006 Concert Series Continues with The Great American Songbook: The Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn

BOSTON, MA, February 21, 2006 — The Berklee College of Music 2005-2006 Concert Series continues with The Great American Songbook: The Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, February 26, 2006. The concert begins at 8:15 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA. Berklee welcomes supporting sponsor Borders, and media sponsor WGBH-FM. General admission tickets are $25/$18.75 seniors. 

Berklee's Great American Songbook concerts are presented annually to pay tribute to songwriters who contributed to the compendium of mid-20th century popular song. This year, the college honors Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Duke Ellington performs with trumpeter and former Berklee professor Herb Pomeroy (right) at Berklee.

Pianist Duke Ellington – who in 1973 received the first-ever Berklee honorary doctor of music degree – kept his band together continuously for almost 50 years, and is arguably the most important bandleader and composer in the history of jazz. The 40-piece Great American Songbook Orchestra – which features faculty vocalists Donna McElroy and Gabrielle Goodman; student vocalists Apollo Payton and Grace Taylor; and NOVA visiting artist, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison – will perform a variety of Ellington's compositions. The concert, produced by Rob Rose with Music Director Richard Evans, will include arrangements by faculty Greg Hopkins, Joe Smith, Jeff Friedman, Bill Elliott, and Russ Hoffmann.

Patty Larkin, and the Yellowjackets are among the featured upcoming artists in the eight-part Berklee 2005 – 2006 Concert Series, which showcases a variety of music genres, including jazz, rock, gospel, R&B, and folk.

For editorial information or digital photos, the media may contact:

Nick Balkin
Office of Public Information
nbalkin@berklee.edu
(617) 747-2247