Mercedes Ellington Celebrates Duke Ellington's 116th Birthday at Ellington Statue Today

The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts (DECFA), headed by renowned dancer/choreographer Mercedes Ellington, the Duke's granddaughter, will celebrate Ellington's 116th birthday this year today, April 25, with a musical tribute to five other legendary jazz performers from 1 to 3 PM in front of the towering Duke Ellington Statue in the Plaza at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, the Gateway to Harlem Although Ellington's actual birthday is April 29, and since April is National Jazz Month, it was decided to also add musical tributes to Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn and Billie Holiday, all of whom would have been 100 years old this year, Ella Fitzgerald, who would have reached her 98th birthday on this very day, and Tito Puente, who would have been 92 this year.

The special musical tributes will feature noted jazz vocalists Antoinette Montague and Marion Cowings, exciting tap dancers, including Alec Cowings, Tony Waag and students from The American Tap Dance Foundation/Tap City, and Bobby Sanabria and his Grammy-nominated Manhattan School of Music Big Band. Special guests will also appear to deliver personal reminiscences of the musical giants being honored.

Although the legendary Duke Ellington passed away on May 24, 1974, 41 years ago, his fame and stature continue to grow and blossom. Last year After Midnight, a big band musical featuring all- Ellington music in a tribute to Harlem 's famous Cotton Club, opened on Broadway and won TONY and Drama Desk Awards, concerts of Ellington's sacred music were presented at Carnegie Hall in New York as well as at the La Madeleine in Paris, Mercedes Ellington was invited to be a special guest at the 22nd Annual International Duke Ellington Study Group Conference in Amsterdam, and the Duke Ellington Center Big Band is finalizing plans for global concert tours in 2016.

Mercedes Ellington says, "These birthday events are very special to me. 'Uncle Edward' - the name Ellington preferred to be called by his family - tried to instill his values with me. I started The Duke his musical legacy and the term 'beyond category,' which he used to define excellence, will live on. Along with the great work of Wynton Marsalis in this area, we are dedicated to making Uncle Edward's legacy continually meaningful to new generations of musicians and music lovers."

For additional information about the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts and the free Birthday Celebration at the Ellington statue at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street on Saturday, April 25, 1 to 3 PM, visit the official DECFA web Site: www.thedukeellingtoncenter.org.

"The mission of The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts is to preserve, promote and further the music and philosophy of this American genius through performance and education."

Founded in 2004 by Mercedes Ellington, director/ choreographer/performer and producer who is Duke Ellington 's granddaughter, The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 50l(c)(3) organization whose mission isto further Duke Ellington's creative legacy and his philosophy of human harmony 'beyond category.' The Center mounts performances marrying Ellington's music with other art forms, especially dance and theater; and also sponsors a variety of educational initiatives. As funding for the Arts and Arts Education continues to diminish, the Center's commitment to these areas strengthens. The Center furthers knowledge of Duke Ellington as a composer, lyricist, bandleader, performer, artist, and writer. The Center also strives to keep an historically accurate record of all things Ellington for the benefit of future generations.

Among its goals, The Duke Ellington Center plans on developing Duke Ellington's staggering number of musical compositions into multi-disciplinary theatrical presentations and educational programs, to be performed in many different types of venues in many countries. By revisiting his many diverse compositions, The Center will be following in the example of Ellington himself by exploring new directions that will breathe new life and excitement into those exemplary works.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 -May 24, 1974)

With over 3,000 compositions, he was the 20th century's most prolific composer in both volume and variety.

He started playing piano age 7, formed his first band when he was 25; kept it going for more than 50 years.

1920s: He began calling his compositions American Music when it was popular to view only classical music as "cultural." Duke was determined to make American Music something to be proud of worldwide.

1930s and 1940s: He took his band all over the globe, bringing American Big Band Music, Jazz, American style Sacred Music and Blues to audiences large and small on every continent.

1950s and 1960s: The US State Department launched its Jazz Ambassador program, and Duke became a key component of that highly successful exercise in global cultural diplomacy. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1966 from Lyndon Johnson, and the Medal of Freedom in 1969 from Richard Nixon.

1970s: The Jazz Ambassador initiative ended in 1972 after Duke, though battling terminal cancer, made his last Goodwill Tour through Africa. He died two years later.

Honored posthumously in 1999 with a Pulitzer Prize, Duke Ellington is a source of immense pride for Americans of all races. He felt that racial integration was just a stepping stone to a much more important universal goal: "Human harmony beyond category."

The Duke Ellington Center's 116th Duke Ellington Birthday Celebration is supported by resources provided by Jazzmobile, Inc, as well as donations from members of the DECFA.