The Pocket Ellington
Lineup
About the Event
Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 2 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Alex Webb piano/MD – Piano
Ollie Wilby – Baritone saxophone
Andy Davis – Trumpet
David Lalljee – trombone
Dave Green – Double bass
Robert Fowler – Tenor Saxophone
Winston Clifford – Drum kit
About
‘A terrific band with a rhythm section as good as any on the planet’ – Blue Light, magazine of the Duke Ellington Society UK
‘It’s hard to think of a better way to experience the magic of Ellington, given that the maestro and his associates are all gone; it’s the closest thing we’ll get to experiencing live Duke in 2025’ – Jazzwise
‘A wonderful night’s live music paying tribute to one of the greats’- ArcanaFM
‘The Pocket Ellington, as the pianist Alex Webb calls his septet devoted to the music of the immortal Duke, turns out to be a very good idea’ – thebluemoment.com
‘It’s called ‘The Pocket Ellington’, but there is nothing about this band that is small. A big sound and some really high-quality arrangements wowed the audience’ – Hilaryseabrook.blogspot.com
Born out of pianist/arranger Alex Webb’s love of Ellington, The Pocket Ellington manages what ought to be impossible – creating a classic Ellingtonian sound with just four horns and a rhythm section. But with a top-drawer horn section, and with veteran bassist Dave Green and powerhouse drummer Winston Clifford providing the swing, the group does justice to classic Ellingtonia – and a lot more.
Great charts from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s – Main Stem, Rain Check, Cotton Tail, Chelsea Bridge, Such Sweet Thunder and others – are presented in clever new arrangements which evoke the period but also offer solo space to these top-flight musicians.
The repertoire also includes pieces from artists and arrangers who were influenced by the Duke – Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and Gil Evans. It’s a big sound from a pocket band.