TT: Come on and hear

In case you haven’t heard, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center is presenting a Duke Ellington tribute concert called “Portrait of Duke” on Saturday afternoon as part of its week-long James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival. I’m the curator of and master of ceremonies for the program, which features performances by Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks (about whom much more here) of original big-band charts by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, including “Chelsea Bridge,” “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blues,” “Ko-Ko,” “Mood Indigo,” and “The Mooche.”
Hilary Gardner, a fabulous young singer about whose debut album I recently raved in this space, is supplying the vocals. As for me, I’ll be reading excerpts from Duke and introducing rare film clips of Ellington on and off stage.
The show starts at two p.m. Admission is $49. To buy a ticket or for more information, go here.