‘Summer Nights at Harkness,’ Featuring Duke Ellington, Moved to the Garde for This Evening’s Show

The Duke Ellington band will perform at the Garde in New London on Thursday.

Old Lyme resident Frank Bombaci, Sr., President of Bring Our Music Back, Inc., presents the final concert in the “Summer Nights at Harkness” series on Thursday evening. The concert, which features Duke Ellington, has been moved to the Garde Arts Center in New London due to the inclement weather expected.

The “Night at the Opera” concert, which had been planned for Aug. 15, has now been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Tickets from that night are now welcome at the Duke Ellington concert.

Doors open Thursday at 5 p.m.

The performance schedule is as follows:

6 – 6:45 p.m. The Real Ambassadors (Youth Performance)

15 intermission

7 – 7:45 p.m.- String of Pearls

8 – 8:45 p.m. The Duke Ellington Orchestra

20 minute intermission

9:05 – 9:50 p.m. -The Duke Ellington Orchestra

Shoreline Web News LLC, owner of LymeLine.com, is proud to be a sponsor of “Summer Nights at Harkness.”

The Duke Ellington Orchestra is perhaps the greatest of all Jazz bands. The group stayed together for over 50 years, recording and writing some of America’s greatest music. Artistically the era of “swing” and of the big bands was dominated by the orchestra of Edward “Duke” Ellington, the first great composer (and self-arranger and one of the most prolific in the entire history of music) of jazz music.

Ellington’s reputation has increased since his death, with thematic re-packaging’s of his signature music often becoming best-sellers. Posthumous recognition of his work includes a special award citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board.

Bring Our Music Back, Inc is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the enrichment of life and healing through music in support of aspiring musicians, programs and services within our communities. The initiative of their concerts is to give burgeoning talent a voice and venue with national recording artists while providing a platform to raise funds to give back to music initiatives within the community. This is Music with Purpose.

Concert tickets are $25 in advance; $35 at the door and ticket packages for all concerts are available. Group sales rates are offered for 15 or more.

To purchase tickets, visit www.bringourmusicback.org, call 860-434-1882 or stop by The Bowerbird or Songbird Cafe in Old Lyme.