The legacy of Duke Ellington, one of the great American jazz musicians, continues through his son Mercer.

And Mercer Ellington will lead the Duke Ellington Band in a performance at the Southampton Princess Hotel on Saturday, February 19.

It should be a lively evening with two of the three hour-long sets devoted to dancing.

The Post Valentine Dance has been organised by Somers Lioness Club in association with Choy Aming Productions, with part of the proceeds of the evening going to the Devonshire Rest Home.

The Duke Ellington Band has continued to earn rave reviews even after the death of the great man in May 1974.

Apart from Louis Armstrong, the Duke was responsible for the continued popularity of big jazz bands. Over the past 50 years this type of music has maintained its appeal to both young and old audiences.

His son played trumpet and was the orchestra manager, but after his father died he took over as composer, arranger and conductor of the band.

His association began when he was nine-years-old and he is a graduate of the Juilliard School, which recently sent its orchestra for the Bermuda Festival.

For the past 20 years he has continued to maintain the five-decade Ellington tradition. He said: "I would like to see Dad regarded as a legend in American history and not just music.

"He had a wonderful philosophy and was a champion of equality. He was one of the first to employ whites in a black orchestra.'' Mercer conducted the band during the two-year run of "Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies'' at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. His daughter Mercedes was on stage as a dancer.

There has been a performance at the Super Bowl, a TV show with Ella Fitzgerald and many concerts in Europe.

Another recent success is "Digital Duke'' which won a Grammy Award as the best big band jazz instrumental album. It included saxophonist Branford Marsalis among the players.

A primary aim of the band is to introduce young and old alike to "Ellingtonia'' complemented by a varied repertoire of 64-year-old Mercer's own compositions and arrangements of jazz, blues, swing and Top 40 standards.

The band plays standard concerts, sacred concerts, ballrooms and performs with other symphonies and orchestras.

The concert at Southampton Princess will feature three sets, each lasting an hour. The first set will be for dancing, the second is a show featuring singer Naomi Onara, and the final set will also be for dancing.

Choy Aming said: "We are giving a lot of space for dancing in the Princess Ballroom. There should be room for about 200 people to dance.'' A local band with a reputation for getting people onto their feet has been approached to support the Duke Ellington Band but the details have not yet been finalised.

The show begins at 9 p.m. and tickets are $60 each for what promises to be a lively evening.

THE DUKE'S SON -- Mercer Kennedy Ellington.