Date: April 11, 2026
Contact: Topaza Watkins-Edmond | Voice Concepts Incorporated | (917)561-7490
With Partnered Support: Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Foundation + Memphis Tourism —
Convention & Visitors Bureau
An Evening of Ellington Brings Heirs to the Jazz Throne, The Savoy Ellingtons, Home to the Birthplace of American Music — Honoring a Bond Between Memphis and Duke Ellington That Runs Deeper Than Most Know
MEMPHIS, TN — Memphis is widely celebrated as the Birthplace of the Blues, the Cradle of Soul, and the city where Gospel, Jazz, R&B, and Rock and Roll took root on the legendary stages of Beale Street. Yet few know the profound and deeply personal connection that Duke Ellington — one of the greatest composers in American history — shared with this city and with some of its most defining moments. On Friday, April 17, 2026, that connection comes full circle. An Evening of Ellington — a landmark cultural celebration of International Jazz Month at Memphis’ Crosstown Theater, reuniting his living legacy with the city he loved and served.
A LEGACY THAT BELONGS TO MEMPHIS
Duke Ellington’s relationship with Memphis goes far beyond music. His connection to this city — to its people, its history, and its defining cultural and civil rights moments — is a story that has been lost to public memory. It is a story of friendship, of brotherhood, of an artist who understood that music carries a responsibility that transcends entertainment.
An Evening of Ellington is, in part, about reclaiming that story for Memphis — and sharing it with the world.
“Memphis is the birthplace of most American music genres — Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Soul, and Rock and Roll,” said Topaza Watkins-Edmond, President & CEO of Voice Concepts Incorporated and event co-producer. “Duke Ellington’s connection to this city runs deeper than most people know. Bringing — April Ellington and Edward Ellington Jr. — back to Memphis to perform is about reconnecting a legacy that has always belonged here. One Night. One City. One Legacy.”
DUKE ELLINGTON’S “HEIRS TO THE JAZZ THRONE” — THE SAVOY
ELLINGTONS TAKE THE STAGE
An Evening of Ellington will feature a performance by The Savoy Ellingtons — April Ellington and Edward Ellington Jr. The Savoy Ellingtons carry their father’s musical legacy onto stages around the world for over 40 years. Their presence in Memphis is both a homecoming and a historic occasion.
H.B. BARNUM — LIVING LEGEND
H.B. Barnum — Composer, Music Producer, Arranger, Lyricist, and Living Legend — has been the Musical Conductor for The Savoy Ellingtons for several decades. A revered figure in American music history who developed orchestral jazz-funk and soul-jazz, H.B. Barnum perfected the art of blending soulful R&B with sophisticated orchestral arrangements. H.B. Barnum brings decades of artistry that includes partnering with The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, for over 42 years as her Musical Conductor, and others including Frank Sinatra, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey — all with a direct connection to the Ellington legacy — and to this remarkable program.
WENDY MOTEN: A NATIVE MEMPHIAN COMES HOME
A genre-defying Major Recording Artist and Vocalist whose Memphis roots have carried her seamlessly across music genres of Country, Jazz, and Pop — breaking boundaries in spaces where few have stood. World-renowned and native Memphian, Wendy Moten, has spent two decades as one of the most in-demand background vocalists. She spent about 15 years touring the world with Julio Iglesias, singing in four languages and joining him onstage before world leaders. She was on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul tour, spent several years with Martina McBride and joined Vince Gill in 2016.
Wendy Moten will deliver a Special Tribute Performance to the Savoy Ellingtons, performing “Come Sunday,” a deeply moving composition from Duke Ellington’s Sacred Collection — the body of work Ellington himself considered his greatest achievement. This special tribute performance is presented by Memphis Tourism — Convention & Visitors Bureau.
THE #1 JAZZ BAND IN THE WORLD — MEMPHIS’ OWN
At the heart of the evening is a 100-piece student orchestra anchored by the Memphis Central High School Jazz Band — the #1 Jazz Band in the World and Winners of the 2025 Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York City, founded by jazz icon Wynton Marsalis. Directed by Dr. Ollie Liddell, the ensemble will be joined by students from Overton High School, White Station High School, Cordova High School, and Collierville High School — together representing the extraordinary next generation of Memphis musicians.
MEMPHIS: THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICA’S MUSICAL SOUL
From the Gospel churches that shaped a generation of voices, to the Blues that rose from the Mississippi Delta, to the Soul and R&B that poured out of Stax Records, to the Rock and Roll that echoed down Beale Street — Memphis is not merely a city. It is a birthplace.
A source. A sound. Every major American music genre has roots here. An Evening of Ellington is an opportunity for Memphis to claim its rightful place in the broader narrative of American cultural history — and to remind the world that the music born here has always been, and remains, a global treasure.
PARTNERS & INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
An Evening of Ellington is presented by Stax Music Academy & Soulsville Foundation, in partnership with Voice Concepts Incorporated, with the proud partnered support of Memphis Tourism — Convention & Visitors Bureau. Memphis Tourism’s leadership — including President & CEO Kevin Kane, Chief Marketing Officer Regena Bearden, and Vice President of Global Travel & International Tourism Lisa Catron — immediately recognized the cultural and economic significance of this event and committed their full
support.
A reception and hospitality experience will be hosted by the Recording Academy, Memphis Chapter — led by McKenzii Webster, the chapter’s newly elected Manager.
EVENT DETAILS
What: An Evening of Ellington — Memphis Celebrates International Jazz
Month
When: Friday, April 17, 2026 | Doors: 7:00 PM | Show: 7:30 PM
Where: Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38104
RSVP: Stax Music Academy & Soulsville Foundation | (901)942-7627
staxmusicacademy.org | soulsvillefoundation.org
Admission: FREE — Open Invitation to the Community
Presented by: Stax Music Academy & Soulsville Foundation
In Partnership with: Voice Concepts Incorporated
With Support of: Memphis Tourism Convention & Visitors Bureau
ABOUT VOICE CONCEPTS INCORPORATED
Voice Concepts Incorporated (VCI) is a full-service media, music, and entertainment production company founded in 2001, certified M/WBE. VCI specializes in cross-platform IP development, live events, television, film, and culturally authentic storytelling rooted in American music and Black cultural heritage. VCI has been a management representative for The Savoy Ellingtons for nearly 20 years.
ABOUT STAX MUSIC ACADEMY & SOULSVILLE FOUNDATION
Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Foundation are dedicated to educating, empowering, and inspiring Memphis youth through the power of music, rooted in the legendary legacy of Stax Records and the rich cultural heritage of Memphis, Tennessee.
ABOUT MEMPHIS TOURISM CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Memphis Tourism is the official destination marketing organization for Memphis, Tennessee, led by President & CEO Kevin Kane. Memphis Tourism promotes the city’s world-class music, culture, culinary, and hospitality experiences to travelers around the globe.
MEDIA CONTACT
Topaza Watkins-Edmond
(917)561-7490
President & CEO, Voice Concepts Incorporated
Event Co-Producer, An Evening of Ellington
In Partnership with Stax Music Academy & Soulsville Foundation
With Partnered Support of Memphis Tourism Convention & Visitors Bureau
#staxmusicacademy #soulsvillefoundation #memphistourism #wendymoten #voiceconceptsincorporated
#thesavoyellingtons #dukeellingtonschoolofthearts #memphisrainbowpush