Marilyn Lester is a writer and reviewer of jazz, cabaret, popular music and theater. She’s on the Board of the NY Duke Ellington Society and editor of the TDES newsletter. Marilyn is also a Board member and associate editor of the newsletter of the American Popular Song Society. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts.

At Ellington 2022, she will talk about The International Ellington Society – Time Has Come. The abstract of her presentation is here.

“While Duke was still alive, several appreciation societies were founded, dedicated to examining and enjoying the Ellington (and Strayhorn) legacy. Many of those societies have disbanded and others are on shaky ground, owing to shifting cultural norms as well as aging out members It’s time to support Ellington’s legacy with a realignment of the concept of a Duke Ellington Society to fit the modern, techno-savvy global universe. The presentation will address the aims of such a society and the practical issues involved in setting it up.”