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I formed the Ellington Project to play my arrangements of Duke Ellington's music in the context of an acoustic trio. Besides myself on acoustic guitar, the group consists of cello and viola. The goal is to produce exciting music with a beautiful sound, and to keep the spirit of Duke Ellington alive. |
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Katrina Wreede, the Ellington Project's violist, is a former member of Turtle Island String Quartet, an award-winning composer and a leading practitioner of jazz on the viola. http://katrinawreede.com/ |
Carla Kaufman plays cello with the Ellington Project. Better known as a bassist, she actually started her music career on the cello. http://www.myspace.com/carlakayjazz |
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This is not a typical jazz combo, but Ellington was famous for using a variety of instruments in unusual ways. I think he would approve. The trio is primarily acoustic, and the intimacy of the sound gives another perspective on Ellington’s music. I love the sound of this trio. You can hear every single thing going on. The Ellington Project plays not only some of Duke's more famous songs, but many of the early compositions that first brought him fame. Beginning around 1927, compositions such as East St. Louis Toodle-Oo and Ko-Ko gained the spotlight for their exotic "jungle" sounds. Some of these selections are rarely played now, but they deserve greater exposure. I found that I already played at least 20 Ellington songs as part of my regular repertoire. As I started arranging some of the early pieces that first gained national attention for Ellington in the 1920’s and 30’s, my appreciation of his music has only increased. My arrangements attempt to capture the excitement of his compositions while taking advantage of the instruments in the trio. In place of the 18-piece band and all the instrumental colors that provided, we are challenged to creatively combine our own instruments in ways to maintain interest and excitement. All three of us share the tasks of playing melodies, soloing, accompanying, or blending in tight harmonies. During our performances, we give background on Ellington, his band, and the selections. Most people have heard his name, but aren’t really aware of Ellington’s contribution to American music. He is considered by many to be America’s greatest composer. His early recordings excited people with the new sounds of his exotic "jungle music." Many of his recordings were considered ěthree-minute masterpiecesî—designed to fit on one side of a 78-rpm record. And he continued to experiment and grow throughout his career. Musicians still love to play his music. This is my way of spreading the word about Duke Ellington. |
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