Jazz history will be revisited with passion, vigour and fidelity as the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra follows its recent successes in the Parliamentary and Scottish Jazz Awards with a celebration of the artistry of Duke Ellington, which tours Scotland in October.

Ellington: In the Spirit of the Duke will feature the SNJO, which has been widely acclaimed as the finest ensemble of its kind in Europe, in a programme that ranges through one of jazz’s greatest pianists, composers and bandleaders’ vast repertoire, covering some of the most popular music of the past eighty years through iconic hits such as Black & Tan Fantasy, Mood Indigo, Caravan and Rockin’ in Rhythm and reaching into less frequently played Ellington orchestra masterpieces including Billy Strayhorn’s arrangement of Morning Mood from the Peer Gynt Suite by Norwegian classical composer Edvard Grieg.

The concerts will also feature highlights from Ellington’s Latin American, Far East, Such Suite Thunder, Nut Cracker, Toots, and The Queen’s Suites as well as Never No Lament, which became better known as Don’t Get Around Much Anymore with the addition of Bob Russell’s lyrics in 1942, and Sepia Panorama, the Ellington orchestra’s original theme tune before the adoption of Take the A Train in 1941.

Joining the SNJO in the role of Duke Ellington for the tour will be Scotland’s own world class pianist, the BBC Jazz Award-winning Brian Kellock, for whom SNJO director Tommy Smith re-orchestrated George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in 2005, resulting in hugely successful concerts and a rapturously received recording.

The Ellington celebration comes during the most successful year to date for the SNJO, which formed in 1995. Following acclaimed tours with drummer Peter Erskine and trumpeter Randy Brecker in spring 2012, the orchestra added to its international reputation by appearing with singer Kurt Elling at France’s leading jazz festival, Jazz sous les Pommiers in Normandy, and released its first recording, Celebration, for the prestigious ECM Records label to enthusiastic praise worldwide. Winning the Best Ensemble title at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2012 and a nomination in the same category at the Scottish Jazz Awards have been further highlights.

SNJO director Tommy Smith said: “We are proud to be celebrating such an inspirational figure as Duke Ellington, whose music we have visited successfully before and to whose style we will be endeavouring to remain as true as possible on these concerts. There’s no musician more qualified to play the Ellington role on piano than Brian Kellock and we’re looking forward immensely to featuring his skill, exuberance and fantastic touch at the keyboard at the core of an orchestra that’s currently playing at the top of its game.”

The tour calls at Perth Theatre on Wednesday, Oct 24th ; Music Hall, Aberdeen on Thursday Oct 25th; Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh on Friday Oct 26th; Royal Conservatoire, Glasgow on Saturday Oct 27th; and Eden Court, Inverness on Sunday, Oct 28th . Each concert will be preceded by an informal pre-concert talk on the music of Duke Ellington by Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock.

Source: SNJO