HARPSWELL — The Novel Jazz Septet will be performing free on 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at the Harpswell Bandstand by the Sea. This concert will highlight Billy Strayhorn’s contributions to the creative output of the Ellington Orchestra, in honor of the centennial of his birth. Strayhorn is the creator of a body of work that includes such standards as “Take the ‘A’ Train,” but Strayhorn was often overshadowed by his friend and collaborator Duke Ellington. The Septet will feature both composers but the program will follow the parallel evolution of Strayhorn’s and Ellington’s music. This concert will bring forth some rarely heard Strayhorn pieces, too, that were unearthed during visits to the Smithsonian’s archives. This concert and others are being listed as past of the official international Strayhorn Centennial Celebration events.