The name Duke Ellington conjures the vision of a musical genius who guided one of the most well-known orchestral units in the history of jazz. As a pianist extraordinaire and worldwide ambassador for American music and jazz, Ellington composed scores of tunes and songs that were the biggest hits of his time and to this day retain a major role in the jazz canon.

The Duke had a serious, spiritual side as well. The series of sacred music concerts that he gave near the end of his life feature some of his deepest and most profound works. This visionary music combined jazz with classical and gospel forms and brilliantly foreshadowed the classical crossover genre of today‘s musical world. This body of work provides a perfect foundation for the bold new collaboration featuring the Grammy®-winning Turtle Island Quartet and renowned percussionist, Stefon Harris.