Beyond Category at The Kennedy Center
Mercedes Ellington has been invited to join the celebration of the 125th Birthday of Duke Ellington at the Kennedy Center. Duke didn’t call it jazz. He called his music “American Music,” and liked to describe those who impressed him as “beyond category.”
But no one deserves that description more than The Duke.
Throughout the 2023–2024 season, the Kennedy Center commemorates Duke Ellington’s 125 birthday with institution-wide celebrations of the American icon who changed how the world heard music. An outstanding musician, charismatic band leader, and prolific composer, the Washington, D.C. native was an innovator across an expansive and eclectic range of styles…from pop and theatrical to swing, fusion, and beyond. See what’s coming and join the party! Mercedes Ellington is the honored guest the evenings of the Jazz Houston Orchestra and On the Road with Duke Ellington, a film screening.