Welcome

 WELCOME TO TDES 40 IN TORONTO

LATEST NEWS :  

 PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN VENUE FOR OUR GENERAL MEETINGS:

Our Meetings will now be held  at  The Fairfield Seniors Centre, 80 Lothian Avenue. 

See under the meetings and Events tab for directions to the new venue.

February 10 2026 - Jack Chambers' talk is Canon Fodder - 20 Greatest Duke Ellington Big Band Compositions. 

Membership dues for the 2025 - 2026 Season are now overdue. Dues are $50 per person.  There are no longer any family memberships. Our Treasurer will accept cash, checks or an e-transfer. Send your dues to tdestreasurer@gmail.com

Please look under the Meetings and Events tab for all upcoming meetings and for notices about meeting locations.

Our annual Duke Ellington Concert, celebrating the 127 th Anniversary of his birth,will be held on Saturday April 25 2026 in the Al Green Theatre in the Miles Nadal JCC. 750 Spadina Avenue at Bloor St. Jim Galloway's Wee Big Band under the direction of Brigham Phillips will provide the music. General admission tickets are $50 and may be purchased via Eventbrite at:

Eventbrite Duke Ellington Concert Tickets

                                                                         

Meetings will remain on the second Tuesday of the month but will start at 1:30 p.m. with the doors to the venue opening at 1:00 p.m. for set up etc. Meetings need to be complete by 4:00 p.m.

Visitors are always welcome and new members are important to us. We appreciate visitors coming to our meetings to check us out.  If you know someone that may be interested, please tell them how great the music and presentations are and encourage them to come. 

Please see under the Meetings and Events tab for the  Financial statement.

Answer to the Cryptic Crossword puzzle clue:

From the Tuesday Jan 28 2025 Globe and Mail. A cryptic crossword #2856 puzzle clue,         

4 Down – Jazzman in central London with a big tree (12).

 I didn’t know there was such a tree but better known as the giant sequoia.

The answer is, of course, Wellingtonia.

 Jazzman – Ellington

In Central London - W1 or WI

With a

 W(Ellington) I a – Wellingtonia.

Oh Dear, another cryptic crossword puzzle clue. From the U.K.  Sunday Times April 20 2025

Duke who played Duke out of western (9)

ELLINGTON:  WELLINGTON

The Toronto Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society was created on May 4th. 1959  and was one of the earliest to be established. The first Chapter was founded in Washington D.C. in 1953 and with the New York Chapter they were the only two others in existence in 1959.  Subsequently, several others have been formed in U.S. cities, in Britain and in Europe. While each chapter is independent there is interchange of information and studies and an annual International Conference.  The Toronto Chapter  hosted International Conferences in 1987 and 1996.

The music of Duke Ellington continues to bring people of all ages, backgrounds, artistic, social and cultural inclinations together in the spirit of swinging celebration. That is why TDES 40 continues to build awareness of Ellington’s music and influence through study, discussion and analysis in a welcoming and hospitable forum. We undertake the wonderfully rewarding work of encouraging the performance of jazz and of Ellington’s music by local, national and international musicians through our organization of concerts and through the awarding of scholarships to today’s musicians of the future.

Concerts are presented at a December Holiday Party and on a date near April 29, Duke’s birthday, every year. These eagerly awaited events have added significantly to the Chapter’s scholarship fund raising capabilities.