A trip into the world of Duke Ellington’s music

Nothing defines sophistication and glamour more stylishly than the music of Duke Ellington. So when presenter David Shaw asked Tom Freeman if he could put together a band of Southern Oregon musicians to perform with a touring production of the Ellington-based dance show "Sophisticated Ladies," the Ashland-based drummer didn’t hesitate.

"David had this idea," Freeman says. "And I said yes."

Which is why a band of six Rogue Valley players will perform with and under the direction of pianist and music director Darius Frowner, of New York City, when "Sophisticated Ladies" comes to the Britt hillside in Jacksonville Saturday night.

A trip into the world of Ellington’s music, the dance-heavy show includes such classics as "It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing," "Take the A Train," "Satin Doll," "Ain’t Misbehavin’" and more as it spans Ellington’s career from the Cotton Club era and the Harlem Renaissance to high society.

In its Broadway incarnation the show won two Tony Awards and brought fame to Gregory Hines. It’s regarded as one of the great vehicles for tap dance.

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The show features dancers from the East Coast and will have performances in the Bay Area before coming to Jacksonville and Eugene. Shaw, a former director of the Britt Festivals, figures the show, which is not a Britt presentation, is a good fit for the pavilion.

"Britt had no musicals this year," he says.

Freeman plays in a salsa band, has played with the Rogue Valley Symphony and has worked in dozens of music projects in Oregon. He’s known Shaw since working with him on "Gumm to Garland," a show about Judy Garland presented here more than 20 years ago.

He presented "Sophisticated Ladies" last year in California with the cast and musical director from New York and players from the Bay Area.

Among the dancers is Martine Allard, who was in the original cast of "Tap Dance Kid" when she was 13 (she earned a 1984 Theater World Award and 1984 Tony Award nomination). Carolyn Jackson, who just returned from an Asian tour with the touring production of "Beehive," is a dancer and a singer. Derek Baker is a triple threat who acts, sings and taps.

Joining Frowner and the dancers in addition to Freeman will be trombonist Colleen Callan, of Medford, woodwind players Daryl Fjeldheim, of Talent, and Dennis Freese, of Phoenix, trumpeter Markus Tannenholz, of Gold Hill, and bassist Jeff Addicott of Ashland.

So who are the sophisticated ladies? Are they the women in the show, were they in the composer’s life, or were they figments of his imagination?

"Both and neither," Mercer Ellington, Duke’s son, has said.

The musical end of the show was a challenge. The musicians first rehearsed Sept. 7. All had played jazz, which you can’t do without coming across Ellington tunes. But the arrangements are very detailed.

"These may be the most structured arrangements we’ve ever worked with," Freeman says. "A lot of jazz is in combos and we sort of jam our way through. But this stuff, for the most part everything is notated."

What’s more, the tunes were arranged by Mercer for a 22-piece band — not a seven-piece combo. The horn players are working out of multiple books to find the parts that sound as close as possible to Ellington.

"We have to have a melody line," Freeman says. "So if one of our sax players needs to stick with one part, maybe the trombone player will grab the melody from another score."

The band will rehearse only four times, only two of which will be in the Bay Area with Frowner.

To add to the challenge, the band will be accompanying dancers, which requires spot-on tempo out of the gate.

"I’ve worked with quite a few dancers," Freeman says. "It’s a real challenge."

He’ll count off tunes or count the band in before the start of each number.

"All those tempos are set," he says. "They’ve been rehearsing in New York, and it’s up to me in the first couple rehearsals to get a feel for their tempos.

"We’re all going to be on the top of our game. That’s part of the excitement."

The band will on-stage with the dancers.

Since some of the tunes were scored for large percussion sections, Freeman will have to incorporate maraca and conga parts into his drums.

"It’ll work," he says with a laugh. "This music carries itself."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: "Sophisticated Ladies."

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17.

WHERE: The Britt grounds, Jacksonville.

TICKETS: $39.50 and $36.50 reserved, $23.50 lawn, $12.50 children (no babes in arms, please), at Safeway in the Medford Shopping Center. www.artbeatshows