I’m really lucky to be the principal jazz piano tutor at Birmingham Conservatoire, so it was a privilege to be asked by Jeremy Price to feature on Duke Ellington’s beautiful Far East Suite for the inaugural concert of the Ellington Orchestra at Birmingham Town Hall (3 Feb) and Southport Festival (5 Feb). It’s a beautiful suite of pieces, with sounds ranging from the Monk-tinged intro to Amad, to the Boogaloo vibes of Blue Pepper and the epic ‘Ad Lib on Nippon’. The Orchestra sounds great – come and check them out if you’re in the area!
