Neon Lit Kludge

Duke Ellington’s music is timeless. Not in a put-it-in-a-museum-and-protect-it kind of way, but in a let-it-loose, let-it-live kind of way.

The band is led by one of Australia’s most active and versatile trumpet players, Eugene Ball, who reckons the Duke’s tunes are strong enough to withstand being busted down and reassembled. So that’s what he’s done. This isn’t 1930s Cotton Club Ellington. It’s no time machine. But if you want to hear what Melbourne’s finest players make of his music today, come hear Neon Lit Kludge.