The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra at Alexander's Live

The North West Duke Ellington Orchestra plays Alexander's Live in Chester on 18 March 2027, 20:30. The 15-piece big band is directed by saxophonist and bandleader Phil Shotton and draws its musicians from across the North West, including Cheshire, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region, and Manchester. The orchestra was formed in 2024 and is dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington, covering pieces from his early 1920s Cotton Club dance tunes to the suites of the 1950s.

Pieces that could be played include Ko-Ko, Main Stem, Harlem Airshaft, Such Sweet Thunder, Never No Lament, Blood Count, The Mooche and Rockin' in Rhythm. The programme features note-for-note transcriptions of historic live performances by The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and the band presents the music of Ellington and his collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Dan Stinson, founder of the orchestra and saxophone player, said: "Duke Ellington's music is fabulous.

Playing it fills us all with joy, and I know that audiences love it too. "