The family and friends of the family were in town tonight, so we met at 9 pm to see The Duke Ellington Orchestra at Birdland on West 44th. It was pretty good. How can it be bad? Duke Ellington’s music performed by expertly trained musicians. For sixty minutes. For thirty dollars. Thank god I wasn’t paying my own way, or I would have had a heart attack. The group is “led” by Ellington’s grandson, an obnoxious man who babbles at length between songs and plugs his CDs and Website. He doesn’t play an instrument, but does “conduct.” I felt slightly robbed afterwards. But the selections from the “Far East Suite” reminded me how great classic jazz is.
Welcome
Jordan Hoffman is a New York-based writer and film critic working for The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Thrillist, Times of Israel, NY Daily News and elsewhere.
He is the host of ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast, a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and challenges you to a game of backgammon.
