$25 Adv/$35 Door
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OFFICIAL PORTLAND, ME INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY PERFORMANCE!
〰️ OFFICIAL PORTLAND, ME INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY PERFORMANCE!
Novel Jazz will be in performance at The Hill Arts in Portland on Sunday 27 April, 2025, 2PM. First and foremost, they will be celebrating Duke’s birthday as well as the timeless music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Moreover, the year 2025 marks the 110th anniversary of Ellington’s side-kick, William “Swee’ Pea” Strayhorn. So, there are lots of reasons to celebrate the music of Ellington and Strayhorn! The mission of the Novel Jazz Septet is to keep Ellington and Strayhorn’s music “alive and swinging”. Between them, Duke and Strays wrote several thousand compositions over their musical careers, two percent of which represent the well-known standards and 98% of which represent rarely heard gems.
This show will be a double-header!
FIRST, the septet will perform standard tunes from the Ellington/Strayhorn repertoire plus newly arranged compositions that they have unearthed from original recordings, as well as manuscripts from the Ellington Archives of the Smithsonian Museum of American History and the Strayhorn Collection at the Library of Congress, both in Washington D.C. Novel Jazz members have dusted these pieces off, rearranged them for the septet, and given them a 21st century sound, all of their own.
SECOND, the Hill Arts will show the legendary film, “The Intimate Duke Ellington.”Duke Ellington's fifty-year career was full of accomplishments as a highly original pianist, arranger, prolific composer and leader of a timeless orchestra. On occasion he recorded with a small group from his orchestra or as a piano soloist, but Duke was rarely filmed in that capacity... with a few exceptions. On January 23, 1967, Ellington filmed two programs for Danish television in Copenhagen, Denmark. The first puts the focus on Ellington's piano, in solo and trio performances (with drummer Rufus Jones, and bassist, John Lamb) that include "Lotus Blossom," "Mood Indigo," and a definitive version of "Take the 'A' Train." Always a modern and distinctive soloist, Ellington is seen creating brilliant improvisations full of strong melodies, subtle surprises and sly wit. The second program has him jamming with an octet assembled from his orchestra, including such greats as alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, trumpeter Cat Anderson and trombonist Lawrence Brown. Highlights include "The Jeep Is Jumpin'," "Sophisitcated Lady" and "Jam with Sam."
Any Ellington is good Ellington, but The Intimate Duke Ellington (run time 57 minutes) is on a higher level entirely: over an hour of the Duke playing Solo and with a trio in one program, and with an octet in the second. The first of the two sets (both in black and white) finds him exploring lesser known material like the tranquil "Meditation" and the minor blues "On the Fringe of the Jungle" (with an astonishing Rufus Jones drum solo); set two brings on the brilliant instrumentalists from Ellington’s orchestra for "Sophisticated Lady" and more. It is all sublime (just try not to be moved by Hodges's playing on "Passion Flower"). Indeed, in troubled times or any times, Duke Ellington's music is a tribute to humankind's better angels. This film is like a time machine, allowing listeners today to see (and hear) Duke from almost 60 years ago, as he created some of the most iconic jazz ever performed, in an intimate, small-group, setting. It is a must- see for Ellington fans, and more generally, for all lovers of music.
This show is an OFFICIAL Portland, Maine celebration of International Jazz Day, a day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe." The idea came from jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. Jazz Day is chaired by Hancock and the UNESCO Director-General. The International Jazz Day celebration brings together jazz shows from places far and wide...Ireland, Iran, Kenya, Lichtenstein, Rwanda, Namibia, New Zealand, you name it!
For more information, call the Hill Arts box office at (207)347-7177 or navigate your browser to https://www.thehillarts.me/. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door (general seating). To find out more about the band, navigate your browser to https://www.mainejazz.net/. Hill Arts is located at 76 Congress Street, Munjoy Hill, Portland, ME 04101. Remember, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! So, bop-on over to Hill Arts on the Sunday, 27 April, 2025, 2PM for some classic jazz by Duke Ellington, as well as his sidekick, Billy Strayhorn. Come celebrate the Duke’s birthday, Strayhorn’s 110th anniversary, International Jazz Day, all at the same time!
The Members of Novel Jazz:
Barney Balch-Tenor, Alto and Soprano Trombone; Barney has played in many bands from Maine, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Florida. Barney began his jazz career in Boston in the mid-1970’s with Craig Ball, Dave McMillan and Jimmy Mazzy. In 1978 he began performing with veteran stride pianist, Bob Page and the Downeast Jazz Babies (including blues guitarist, TJ Wheeler and bassist Dick Cash). In 1980 Barney moved to Southern California and studied with the Kansas City Blues Trombonist, Jimmy Cheatham (veteran of Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Thad Jones orchestras). Barney has performed with John Best (original lead trumpet with the Glenn Miller Orchestra), Al Hall (bassist with Benny Goodman, Erroll Garner), the great stride pianist, Don Ewell (member of the Jack Teagarden band), Francine Reed (of the Lyle Lovett Band) and numerous other big bands. Since returning to Maine in the mid-1990s, Barney has had the good fortune to play with some of Northern New England's "swinging-est" jazz musicians: Along with Novel Jazz, Barney performed with Dick Creeden, Muriel Havenstein, Lefty McAuslin, Henry Berry, Pete Collins, Ken Gaspar, Bill Friederich, Nat Balch (Barney's big brother), Dave Page, Jack Tukey to name just a few. Barney lives for playing Ellington, Strayhorn, Basie, Goodman, Waller, Gershwin, Porter and more. The bottom line is, if it swings, he plays it! Along with performing with the Novel Jazz Septet, Barney spends his spare time studying original manuscripts from the Duke Ellington Collection at the Smithsonian and the Strayhorn Collection at the Library of Congress, both in Washington, D.C., arranging them for the band.
Bill Manning - Drums; Bill attended Boston's Berklee College of Music on scholarship, and earned a B.A. in Music from University of Southern Maine. He is currently the Percussion Instructor and Director of the jazz ensembles in Scarborough and maintains a private teaching studio at The Drum Shop in Portland. He is a seasoned drummer and percussionist, with over 30 years experience and has a wide variety of musical experiences and genres. When not musically involved, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife Pat, dog Sasha and is an avid fisherman.
Herb Maine-Bass; Herb Maine has been a well-known acoustic bassist in the New England region for the past three decades. Originally from North Reading, MA, Herb began playing bass and tuba in the school system there and was playing professionally at age 15. He attended college at Lowell State University majoring in performance. Along with Novel Jazz, he plays regularly around Maine with pianists Mickey Felder and Kenny Gaspar. He has also performed with the late great trumpeter, Herb Pomeroy. Herb resides with his family on Great Chebeague Island off of mid-coast Maine.
David Clarke- Guitar; David “Quick" Clarke began his musical quest on the ukelele at age 3. He started clarinet in the 5th grade, and got serious with the guitar at age 12. At 13 he was performing gigs, and played in the pit band for Waterville Opera House' production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." He did a four year stint with the Air Force Band, playing in rock and jazz ensembles in Mississippi, touring the southern coast; the Philippines, touring Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Guam and Hawaii; and at Travis Air Force Base in California. He moved back to Maine in 1986, opening up David's Music, a local retail store where he taught music lessons and performed in local bands. He started a band called DC-3, which won the Belfast Bay Festival Battle of the Bands three years running. Over the next 25 years he has played with such bands as Faceplant, Tonto Lavec, The Willy Kelly Band, The Hemmens, The Bel-Isle Trio/Quintet, and The Elevator Pilots. He completed his Bachelors in Music Education from UMA and UMO in 1995.
Mickey Felder-Piano; Mick Felder can't remember when he wasn't playing the piano. Mick Felder studied classical piano in New York with Charles Ragusa, and jazz with Charlie Banacos and Scott Oakley. At age fifteen, his first professional group "The J-Five" performed jazz standards in New York's Catskill Mountains. During the late 60's he took a musical detour into folk music, playing guitar and singing in small clubs in New York. Moving to Maine in 1971, he and four other talented musicians formed the popular bluegrass band "Wild Mountain Thyme" which performed throughout the state for many years. Mick returned to jazz in the late 70's and has been performing in concerts, clubs and restaurants throughout Maine ever since.
Mike Mitchell-Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn; Mike Mitchell has been playing trumpet since his childhood days in the eastern Maine town of Calais. He studied at both the University of Maine at Augusta’s Jazz Studies program and the University of Miami’s Jazz program. He studied trumpet with Chuck Winfield (of Blood, Sweat and Tears), Don Stratton, and Bob McCoy. Although the music of Miles Davis and Chet Baker strongly influences his playing, Mike’s musical interests and experiences range broadly from traditional New Orleans to the outer limits of Ornette Coleman and Lennie Tristano. He is also an avid student of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, frequently contributing arrangements of their material for the Novel Jazz Septet. Beyond music, Mike is a behavioral healthcare administrator and clinician with a passion for family, fly fishing and good barbecue.
Nathaniel Johengen- Reeds; Nathaniel Johengen is a Portland-based, freelance saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. He is well-versed in all aspects of jazz performance with extensive experience in ensembles, both small and large. He has been directed and adjudicated by world-class musicians and educators, including Sean Jones, Nate Jorgensen, Ellen Rowe, and many others. Nathaniel has been playing professionally since 2020 and currently studies at the Osher School of Music at the University of Southern Maine with Dr. Christopher Oberholzter and Professor K. Barry Saunders, where he is studying for his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance with a concentration in Jazz Saxophone. Nathaniel teaches saxophone, performs public and private events and does recording sessions.
