Thursday, November 5, 2026, 3:00 pm
Join WBTT for a thought-provoking afternoon as we discuss the talent, legacy and accomplishments of American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his own iconic jazz orchestra, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. Voices is a FREE Community Forum where we’ll discuss the impact he had on African American people and his influence on the music of the time, creating a sound unlike anything heard before.
Imagine walking into a crowded Harlem nightclub in the late 1920s. The room is buzzing. People are talking, dancing, and waiting for the band to start.
Then the music begins.
What they hear isn’t just a collection of instruments playing together. It’s a sound with sophisticated personality—colorful, sometimes elegant, sometimes playful, and completely different from anything they’d heard before. At the center of it all is a man who would come to be known as “Duke.” A “swaggering” fellow who was often introduced as the “most honored musician” of his time.
From Washington, D.C. to New York, & around the world Duke Ellington and his Orchestra didn’t simply play jazz, they expanded the possibilities of what jazz could be.
Join us at WBTT’s first Voices program of the 2026-2027 season. In conjunction with our production of Sophisticated Ladies, we’ll highlight the most influential figure in jazz history, Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.
Panelists include:
WBTT’s Sophisticated Ladies Director, Jim Weaver
Jazz Club of Sarasota President, Ed Linehan
Sophisticated Ladies Musician – Pablo Gil
WBTT Voices is an ongoing series of FREE community forums about issues impacting society, explored through an African American lens.