Novel Jazz Septet

The musicians of Novel Jazz have been performing straight-ahead jazz around Maine and New England for over three decades. They draw from the Great American Songbook and specialize in the works of Edward Kennedy ("Duke") Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.

The band members hail from all over Maine…Belfast, Buxton, Chebeague Island, Gardiner, Newcastle, Thomaston and Vassleboro. They perform regularly in mid-coast Maine (the town of Damariscotta, at the Skidompha Public Library; approximately every other month) as an effort to keep jazz alive in the state.

A decade ago, they embarked on a project to go through the massive archive of compositions by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn — who wrote about 2,500 pieces between them — transcribe some lesser known gems for the band and reinterpret them with a 21^st Century sound. Their first CD was released in 2008, their second was released in 2011. The band released their third CD, Novel and Novelle... More Unearthed Treasures by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington in June 2015. Public radio did a special radio news interview on the Ellington/Strayhorn project of Novel Jazz, and several two-hour programs dedicated to Novel Jazz have been broadcast on Maine Public Radio's Jazz Tonight over the years.

This year's program covers new tunes from the Ellington Band between the 1920's to the 1960's, with classic jazz compositions from these iconic composers, both standards and lesser-known gems. We have tunes lined-up that were written to feature many of the instrumental voices of the Ellington orchestra. The instrumental configuration of the Novel Jazz septet (three horns with a four piece rhythm section) was Ellington's favorite small band combination for those times when he wasn't composing for the 18 piece orchestra.

Our 2017 Ellington & Strayhorn shows will highlight each composer, together and separately. We look forward to seeing you at our shows!