Jazz Tribute: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn
Fri, Mar 27
|Arcata Playhouse
A review of classic Jazz compositions from the pens of Duke Ellington and his close collaborator, the great Billy Strayhorn, specially arranged for the occasion by James Zeller for a fantastic ensemble of local stars.
Time & Location
Mar 27, 2026, 7:00 PM
Arcata Playhouse, 1251 9th St, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
Guests
About the event
Jazz Tribute:
honoring Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn
* March 27 * doors 6:30 pm, show 7 pm *
$15-30 * at the Arcata Playhouse
As Creative Sanctuary wonders what the heck to do in this crazy present moment, honoring some ancestors seems apropos. As they’ve done for two years running, the house band (sometimes known as the Humboldt Jazz Collective) will honor Duke Ellington his closest collaborator, Billy Strayhorn (Composer of Take the A Train among many other Ellington hits).
“We’re keeping it simple this year and using a quintet for most of the show with some special guests. These were big band pieces originally, of course, but with Duke and Strayhorn’s compositions the material is so deep that even with a small group there is still almost endless opportunity for exploration,” James Zeller says, “It allows us to be a bit more relaxed, and focus on the creative,…