Ellington Orchestra 5tet Heats Up Criterion Theater in Bar Harbor

On July 27, 2023, I had the pleasure of attending a one-night-only, 90-minute show by The Duke Ellington Orchestra Quintet at the Criterion Theater in Bar Harbor, Maine. And what a show! It was everything good and great about live jazz and watching seasoned musicians at home on the stage, with their instruments, and with each other. These guys—Shelley “The Showstopper” Carrol (tenor saxophone, flute, and vocals), Andre “Big Butter” Hayward (trombone), Robert Red (piano), Hassan J.J. Wiggins (bass), David F. Gibson (drums), and Paul Mercer Ellington (bandleader)—were there to have fun and take the audience along for the ride. The show kicked off with “In a Mellow Tone” and moved through extended versions of “Do Nothing Until You Hear From Me,” “Satin Doll,” Just Lucky I Guess,” “The Queen’s Suite: The Single Petal of a Rose,” “Caravan” (announced as “Juan Tizol’s ‘Caravan’”), and finally “Catch the A Train,” which was more a rambling, rambunctious, medley of melodies and lyrics from numerous other pieces than a straight version of that tune. There was no intermission and very little talk between songs—just the announcement of the next tune to be played, and that was generally drowned out by the applause of the audience, before launching into the next tune. The group moved effortlessly between ensemble playing and inventive solos tha