As with Gershwin, Duke Ellington presents a formidable challenge in trying to narrow down the hundreds of compositions that he composed over a fifty-year period. One could easily do a program limited to a particular decade, instrumental pieces from the 1920s, for example: "The Mooch", "Black and Tan Fantasy", "Black Beauty". Or the instrumental pieces turned into popular songs in the ‘30s: "Mood Indigo", "In a Senti­mental Mood", "So­phi­sticated Lady". Or the music from his ventures into Broadway musicals: "I Got It Bad", "Jump For Joy". Or his collaborations with Billy Strayhorn: "Take the A Train", "Chelsea Bridge", "Lush Life". These are only a part of the Ellington legacy the Jazz Kings will explore. A final reason to celebrate these composers is that 1998 is 100th anni­versary, of the birth of George Gershwin, and 1999 is the 100th anni­versary of Duke Elling­ton’s birth. What a century with composers such as these!