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WBGO Journal Podcast

Mercedes Ellington's trailblazing career and a tribute to the late David Lerner

By Doug Doyle
Published December 7, 2025 at 7:36 AM EST
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Mercedes Ellington and Tony Waag at the Duke Ellington 125th Birthday celebration
Manish Gosalia/Manish Gosalia
Mercedes Ellington and Tony Waag at the Duke Ellington 125th Birthday celebration

On the December 6 WBGO Journal...

Host Doug Doyle has an in-depth conversation with dancer, choreographer and art director Mercedes Ellington who will be directing “Such Sweet Thunder” a Symphony Space celebration of the life and music of her grandfather Duke Ellington…..

Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder
courtesy of the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts
Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder

And WBGO’s Jon Kalish pays tribute to the late David Lerner, who co-founded a popular Macintosh store in Manhattan called Tekserve….

David Lerner at Tekserve
photo courtesy of Dick Demenus
David Lerner at Tekserve

Tags
WBGO Journal Podcast Mercedes EllingtonDuke EllingtonDuke Ellington Center for the ArtsAmerican Tap Dance FoundationSuch Sweet ThunderDavid LernerSymphony SpaceTekserveWBGO Journal
Doug Doyle
Doug Doyle has been News Director at WBGO since 1998. Since then, Doug and his news staff have received more than 300 awards from organizations like PRNDI (now PMJA), AP, New York Association of Black Journalists, Garden State Association of Black Journalists and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.
See stories by Doug Doyle