The Duke Ellington spirit swings at Strathmore
By: Marie Gullard
Special to The Examiner
November 2, 2009
If you goWho says jazz musicians don't have fun with their audiences? When conductor Barrie Lee Hall Jr. leads his wildly popular, 16-piece band, sparks fly.BSO SuperPops Presents: The Duke Ellington Orchestra
Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
When: 8 p.m. Nov. 5
Info: $28 to $90; 410-783-8000; bsomusic.org
"People have been so appreciative," Hall said. "It's like a big house party."
And all are invited to the festivities Nov. 5 as The Music Center at Strathmore once again welcomes the incomparable Duke Ellington Orchestra for one night only.
As the pre-eminent performer of the music of Duke Ellington, the Orchestra has traveled worldwide playing and promoting the music of the great jazz legend Duke Ellington.
"With over 5,000 copyrighted pieces, [Ellington] was the most prolific composer in the world," said Hall, who joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1973 and took over as conductor in 1996.
Hall, who was born in 1949, studied trumpet and piano at Texas Southern University, winning soloist awards in college jazz festival competitions around the country. When the call came from Duke Ellington to join his orchestra, Hall jumped at the opportunity and has never looked back.
The similarities to his idol's life are remarkable. Ellington dropped out of high school to pursue his love of music and worked with various ensembles, eventually gaining leadership of a band during the Harlem Renaissance. He would go on to name the band after himself, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Barrie Lee Hall Jr., who laughs when asked if he knows all 5,000 of Ellington's pieces, said he and the band would be playing the "evergreens," which are the great jazz standards that include "Satin Doll," "Take the A Train" and "Mood Indigo."
He also uses a clever technique when taking requests from the audience.
"I say jokingly, 'What am I going to play next?' or 'What about an encore?' And the people will yell out a song as though they're challenging us," he said.
But in the end, it is all about the party feeling that classic Ellington tunes bring out in the best of jazz aficionados.
"Audiences so enjoyed hearing favorite jazz standards in the spirit of Ellington that they are back again this season due to popular demand," said Kendra Whitlock Ingram, BSO vice president and general manager.
