Ellingtonia want to celebrate Duke Ellington’s extraordinary music of the nineteen-twenties, thirties and forties: wonderful tunes that are by turns touching, intriguing, delightful ... and toe-tapping!

But our show isn’t just a trip down memory lane. The music has to come alive for a 21st century audience.

What’s our approach? We use our own unique musical arrangements that are tailor-made for the band. We follow the style of the originals and the result is pretty authentic.

The line up (2 saxes, 2 brass and 4 rhythm and vocals) is one Ellington often used and produces a really big sound. We have a stable line up of experienced musicians, who've been involved in the project from the start and know the music really well.

Most importantly we just love playing it, and our enthusiasm is infectious!

Ellingtonia was formed by sax-player and arranger Ian Wellens. After a career as a cabinetmaker, Ian returned to early love of music via a degree and a PhD at Dartington College of Arts. His doctoral research on music and politics during the Cold War has now been published as Music on the Frontline.

As a composer Ian has written for dance, television and community projects but most often for the theatre, including work for Theatre Alibi, Kneehigh Theatre and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester. He's also an Associate Lecturer at Dartington, where he specialises in film music.

Duke Ellington was born in Washington DC in April 1899. Both his parents played piano, so Duke began lessons at age of seven. By the time he was seventeen he was performing professionally and in 1917 formed his first group The Duke’s Serenaders. In 1923 Ellington moved to New York and the group, now re-named The Washingtonians, began what was to become a legendary residency at the Cotton Club, gaining a reputation as one of America's top bands.

Over the next few decades Ellington, often working with Billy Strayhorn until the latter’s death in the mid-1960s, established himself as one of the pre-eminent writers in jazz. His compositions always highlighted the strengths of the musicians in his band which at various times included Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Blanton, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer, Bubber Miley and Ben Webster to name just a few. Ellington also pioneered the use of longer form compositions in jazz with works like Black, Brown and Beige and Such Sweet Thunder.

Even when the swing era ended and many of the great bands began to find work hard to come by, Ellington continued to tour the world and made innovative recordings including The New Orleans Suite, The Far East Suite and The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse until the end of his life. He died in May 1974.