Bringing alive the music of Duke Ellington

Transcriptions by Michael Kilpatrick

Related sites

Unknown Ellington compositions never heard before! Harmony in Harlem Michael's Ellington jazz orchestra

Introduction

Only in recent years have the works of Duke Ellington, perhaps the greatest and most prolific composer in the history jazz, been available in print for the jazz orchestras of today. Recreated with reference to the recordings and the repository of Ellington's original manuscripts at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, transcriptions by Michael Kilpatrick are honest and accurate reproductions of Ellington's works. These are not new arrangements, but the compositions in their original form as performed by Duke Ellington and his orchestra.

Each transcription (see the menu to the left) has a brief synopsys on this website, with details of the orchestration, technical features and solo requirements. A guide to available CDs is provided. Go to the Samples page to view a sample of the print quality direct from one of my transcriptions. The pages detail the style of musical notation and annotation employed, and give performance guidelines. Please follow the menu links for Order/contact information and other details.

The Duke Ellington transcriptions are engraved using the Sibelius professional music engraving software and printed on 120gsm paper. The scores are comb-bound with a protective plastic cover. Detailed performance notes and a guide to the musical notation style are included with each score. Optional written solos, fully transcribed from the recordings, are provided as appendices to the band parts, as well as chord symbols and indications for improvistaion.

The philosophy behind the development of the Catalogue is to look beyond any predictable list of Ellington's well-known works and to explore the depth of the repertoire, ranging from the obscure Big Drag recorded only once in the early 1950s - a low ebb in the popularity of the big bands - to more familiar works such as Three Cent Stomp and Morning Glory from what is regarded as the peak of Ellington's career. Many of the compositions presented here are a little off the beaten track, often reflecting my personal taste; it is my hope that these publications will encourage orchestras to bring to performance many of Ellington underrated masterpieces. As time progresses I hope to expand the catalogue with many more titles.

Commissioning a transcription

I can consider requests for Ellington titles not yet in my catalogue. There are many titles which are awaiting work, and requests for those would be most welcome. For other titles, as I visit the Smithsonian every year usually I can research material if so requested. Please feel free to enquire about any Ellington title, however obscure!

Coming Soon

In 2006 I hope to issue a set of transcriptions of the album known as "The Unknown Session". These arrangements mostly of classic Ellington tunes, featured five front-line musicians: Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Paul Gonsalves. Please e-mail me if you are interested in these!

Previous Customers

Many of these transcriptions have been performed by professional orchestras or other amateur organisations. The Echoes of Ellington orchestra, under bandleader Pete Long, have performed ten works from my catalogue at Ronnie Scott's and The 100 Club in London. The vocal feature Chocolate Shake from the show Jump For Joy, was performed by the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of the late William Russo. Five of my transcriptions, Three Cent Stomp, Someone, Morning Glory, Sherman Shuffle and Blue Serge, were played at an evening concert on 14th May 2004 for the Duke Ellington International Conference in Stockholm, Sweden. Follow the Links page for further information.

Disclaimer

Michael Kilpatrick acts as a sole trader in the publication of his transcriptions of the works of Duke Ellington. The internet domain name www.ellington-music.co.uk in no way indicates a link between the trader and the estate of Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington.

The transcriptions are intended to reflect accurately the compositions as they were originally intended or performed. The accuracy is limited by the fidelity of the available recordings, the extent of the surviving manuscripts, the limitations of musical notation and last but not least, the abilities of the transcriber!