ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON - Sun Prairie Wisconsin High School

Essentially Ellington Jazz Competition

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I am not a big fan of Wynton Marsalis for many reasons, But he has done some wonderful things for jazz education and this Essentially Ellington competition is one of them. There has recently been a heated discussion elsewhere as to the worthiness of these bands and what they do. Many of those involved in the discussion so no worth init since all the kids were doing was playing and trying to sound like Duke Ellington. To which I replied with a story told by Phil Woods about Gene Quill who was playing in a NY club. After the set, Quill got off the stand and headed for the break room and he was accosted by a drunk audience member who said to Quill, “All you do is play like Charlie Parker.”  Quill looks at the drunk patron, hands him his horn and say,”You get up there and play like Charlie Parker.” 

Check out this band and all the other Essentially Ellington clips on YouTube