Feature: “What can Duke Ellington’s recordings tell us about jazz history?”

BY KATHERINE WILLIAMS Most people think of three things when they think of jazz history: jazz was made famous by a succession of individual musicians (Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins etc.) jazz is predominantly an improvised music, and jazz is an oral tradition (rather than notated art form), and we… Continue reading Feature: “What can Duke Ellington’s recordings tell us about jazz history?”

27 April 2016: Talk about Duke Ellington in Words & Music Shakespeare Festival

“Such Sweet Plunder: Or Whose Line Is It Anyway?” On Wednesday 27th April, Dr Katherine Williams will be giving a talk on Duke Ellington as part of the 2016 Words and Music Festival: Celebrating Shakespeare in Plymouth. In her talk, Katherine uses Duke Ellington’s music to explore the balance of authorial power between composer, bandleader, musicians,… Continue reading 27 April 2016: Talk about Duke Ellington in Words & Music Shakespeare Festival