North Sea Jazz Club, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As part of the International Duke Ellington Conference 2014, we welcome the Concert Big Band of the Conservatory of Amsterdam for a special concert. Under the direction of David Berger, they will play Duke Ellingtonâs only written big band symphony, âBlack, Brown and Beigeâ. It has been more than 70 years since Ellingtonâs âB, B & Bâ was played in its entirety during its premiere at Carnegie Hall (New York). Duke Ellington said the following about it: âWe thought we wouldnât play it in its entirety tonight because it represents an awfully long and important story and that I donât think too many people are familiar with the story. This is the one we dedicate to the 700 Negroes who came from Haiti to save Savannah during the Revolutionary War.â Jazz composer, trumpeter, arranger and conductor David Berger is internationally recognized as the expert on Duke Ellington's music and music from the swing era. From 1988 to 1994, he worked for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra where he transcribed more than 500 pieces by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.