Duke Ellington’s sacred concerts to be featured

Saturday, March 4, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

He was a prolific jazz composer, a brilliant arranger and one of the world's greatest band leaders.

But near of the end of his life, Duke Ellington, a deeply religious man, re-examined his spiritual roots and produced three monumental performances.

Known as the "sacred concerts," the programs incorporated gospel, jazz, classical and choral music and dance and were performed in churches and cathedrals.

Tonight the Las Vegas Master Singers, the UNLV Jazz Ensemble and jazz soloist Laura Taylor will present a compilation of music from the concerts. The performance will include the songs "Heaven," "Almighty God," "Praise God," "Come Sunday" and "David, Dance Before the Lord," among others.

The concerts are rarely performed today because of what is involved.

"You have to bring all the elements together," said jazz pianist and UNLV Music Director David Loeb, who will conduct the Jazz Ensemble. "There are three different movements in different styles."

Of the spiritual music, Loeb said, "It is a departure for him, but it's his style 100 percent."

In addition to the 70-voice choir, there will be a PowerPoint presentation of Ellington and his band.

Tickets are $25, $15 for students and available at the door. The 7 p.m. performance at Warm Springs Baptist Church, 2075 E. Warm Springs Road, is a fundraiser for UNLV's choral studies and jazz department. Call 258-0329.

Guitar classics

Guitar legend Pepe Romero's recently released CD, "Songs My Father Taught Me," includes works by Bach, Schumann, Sor, Schubert and Chopin. On Sunday, he will be performing at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall. The 4 p.m. concert is part of UNLV's Classical Guitar series, which began in November with a performance by the Australian guitar group Saffire.

Romero's stop in Las Vegas is part of his 2005-06 tour. Tickets are $30. For more information, call 895-2787.

Zapped again!

Last year's Zap! project in the Winchester Neighborhood was so popular that the county is looking to re-create the effort in the Paradise Park neighborhood near McLeod Drive and East Tropicana Avenue.

The project commissioned artists to turn utility boxes into works of art reflecting the nature of the neighborhood.

This year's financing might be a little more challenging, however. Last year's project used funds from the Las Vegas Centennial. Funds for the Paradise Park project will need to be raised.

Project coordinators are in the final stages of selecting the boxes. The neighborhood group, Friends of Paradise Park, is looking for residents in the area to offer their input.

For more information, contact Patrick Gaffey, Clark County Parks and Recreation Department's cultural program supervisor, at 455-8239.