When ellington signs a record contract in 1960, he teams up with fellow musician billy strayhorn, and the two composers create a new spin on tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. Its 1960 and jazz fans cant get enough of duke ellington and his big band. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellingtons nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. It attracted scant attention upon its release, in 1951, and no. Featuring brand new choreography from dcbased dance troupe step afrika. Duke ellington peanut brittle brigade march youtube. Duke ellington piano solo rarest of the rare recordings. H nutcracker but somehow i managed to listen to it and she said it was on.
Duke ellingtons best album, masterpieces by ellington. Lawrence brown, juan tizol, johnny hodges, and harry carney. For purposes of accuracy, the manuscripts were crosschecked carefully with the original duke. Ellingtons band members were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a coolcat jazz number. Duke ellington sugar rum cherry dance of the sugarplum fairy masterxelpud. Duke ellington sugar rum cherry dance of the sugarplum. Ellington and strayhorns the nutcracker suite at studenaker. Almost anything by the ellington band is a genuine aural banquet, and this is no exception. The classical masterpiece is a holiday favorite and tinkering with something so well known is a bit risky.
Cutno dance centers nutcracker in the south which features duke ellingtons rendition of the nutcracker, has become a regular augusta. Strayhorn met duke ellington in december 1938, after an ellington performance in. Eager to create fresh, new tunes, duke and his bestfriend and collaborator, billy strayhorn, decide to reinvent a holiday tradition. Urban nutcracker puts a modern spin on the 19th century fairy tale and transports the audience to an enchanted world not unlike their own. Hoffmanns story the nutcracker and the mouse king although the original production was not a. The show will highlight the jazz interpretations of. Alvin aileys night creature is a bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, a perfect fusion of aileys buoyant choreography and duke ellingtons sparkling music. One of duke ellingtons most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. Yet when the duke and his writing partner billy strayhorn first announced plans to take the classical ballet and perform a jazz version, even members of duke s orchestra expressed.
Its a rare thing to see jazz men in a quintet reading their music, as if. A 1959 promo video for duke ellington s version of the nutcracker suite, featuring paul gonsalves, butter jackson, and ray nance. Duke ellington, one of the greatest composers and performers of the 20th century. Just continuing my upload of duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite its a challenge to transform the nutcracker suites romantic orchestra into jumpin jazz melodies, but thats exactly what duke ellington and his collaborator, billy strayhorn, did. Ellingtons reworking of griegs peer gynt suites including in the hall of the mountain king and his tribute to john steinbeck suite thursday are also among his better. Night creature by alvin ailey alvin ailey repertory. Duke ellington short bio long bio news works performances discography photos listen edward k. Duke ellington edward kennedy ellington, april 29, 1899 may 24, 1974 was an american jazz composer, pianist and bandleader, one of the most influential figures.
Duke ellington was the true master of the big band era, although a lot of benny goodman followers might disagree. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognized as one of duke ellingtons most important albums of the 1960s. Listen before or after reading the nutcracker in harlem by t. Ellingtons band is not keen on tackling it, but he is not dissuaded. Standard radio transcription recording session at rcavictor. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. Selftaught at the piano, he grew up surrounded by vibrant ragtime music and it was this that first inspired him to compose. After the ensemble, ray nance and jimmy hamilton take solos, and there is a piano solo, one of the few in this suite. The acclaimed chicago jazz orchestra cjo will debut a new holiday music tradition in chicago when it presents duke ellington and billy strayhorns the nutcracker suite, a jazzinfused.
This album featured tasty jazz versions of music by tchaikovsky and grieg, which i believe even classics lovers might enjoy as well, the only drawback lies in a few original dukelike numbers tacked on at the and which failed to hit the mark, and arent really. Just continuing my upload of the duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. Justin varnes the jazz corner hilton head island, sc december 15, 2017 every christmas is the nutcracker season for ballet aficionados. In a box of miscellaneous items in the duke ellington collection in the archives.
Bigband duke ellington 1960 three suites nutcracker. Florida wind symphony jazz orchestra will present an ellington nutcracker in the university theatre. Gordon parks photography, johnny hodges saxophone, harry carney saxophone, paul gonsalves saxophone, russell procope saxophone, jimmy. The best album ever made by duke ellingtonwhich is to say, one of the best albums in jazzis also one of his leastknown. Yet when the duke and his writing partner billy strayhorn first announced plans to take the classical ballet and perform a jazz version, even members of dukes orchestra expressed. Nutcracker suite songs i have a considerable number of ellington recordings, but have not heard this one until now. The principal aim of this site is to provide as full an online discography of the recorded works of duke ellington as possible. A holiday concert tradition, the orchestra will perform the complete nutcracker suite as arranged for jazz ensemble by the incomparable duke ellington and billy strayhorn, along with other holiday favorites. On a night in 1960, legendary musician and band leader duke ellington, along with his collaborator billy strayhorn, decided to jazz up tchaikovskys christmastime staple, nutcracker suite.
Ccm has become an allsteinway school through the kindness of its donors. Duke ellingtons nutcracker with duke ellington orchestra. The baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika. Rare christmas music duke ellington sugar rum cherry. Jazz up the holiday season with a sample from duke ellingtons version of the nutcracker suite performed by david berger jazz. The nutcracker suite additional works to be announced jazz up your holidays with duke ellington s dazzling reimagining of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, performed by the duke ellington orchestrathe only ensemble directly carrying on the tradition from duke himself. The legendary composing and arranging skills of duke ellington and billy strayhorn also make it nutcracker season for jazz aficionados. Duke ellington, born april 29, 1899 in washington, d.
Strains of duke ellington dovetails with the buzz of neon driven by the heartbeat of tchaikovsky. Ellingtons reworking of griegs peer gynt suites including in the hall of the mountain king and his tribute to john steinbeck suite thursday are also among his better extended. The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at. The legendary composing and arranging skills of duke ellington and. The bso will delight the entire family with the peanut brittle brigade and dance of the floreadors and a few old favorites too. Anna harwell celenza duke ellingtons nutcracker suite. A number of the dukes original members of his 19381941 band performed on the recording including. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite episode 1 on this podcast i do a side by side comparison between the original by tchaikovsky and the ellingtonstrayhorn version. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. Duke ellingtons nutcracker baltimore symphony orchestra. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Duke ellington celebrating dukes birthday april it dont mean a thing innovator, creator and leader, duke ellington was a principal figure in the formation of big band jazz and composed more than pieces in the style he dubbed american music. Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony orchestra duration.
The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded for the columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz interpretations of the nutcracker by tchaikovsky, arranged by ellington and billy strayhorn. The nutcracker suite interpreted by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. Duke ellingtons nutcracker and holiday concert jazz ensemble dr. Seeing as how it is christmas, i figured that another mass upload would be an appropriate gift to give out on youtube, and what better to start with, then duke ellington s rendition of the. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. The story behind the jazzedup nutcracker the indianapolis star. The duke plays ellington capitol capitol universal.
Duke ellington and his orchestra playing this awesome tune in it dont mean a thing if it aint got. Duke ellington edward kennedy ellington was born in april 1899 in washington dc he was nicknamed duke by a boyhood friend, and the name stuck. The story behind the jazzedup nutcracker the nutcracker suite, which uindy performs dec. Thanks to my music teacher that told me duke ellington vs. Many know him as duke ellingtons longtime collaborator, composer and arranger, who. Heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. In their own unique style, the two composers remake tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. Scott belck, director jazz lab band dominic marino, director featuring ccm musical theater dance diane lala, choreographer sunday, november 24, 20 corbett auditorium 2. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognised as one of duke ellingtons most important albums of the 1960s. He also chose to be openly gay, which was rare at the time. This edition of tchaikovskys the nutcracker suite, arranged in 1960 by billy strayhorn and duke ellington, was assembled from the original manuscripts held in the strayhorn repository and the ellington collection of the smithsonian institutions national museum of american history. Edward kennedy duke ellington april 29, 1899 may 24, 1974 was an american composer.
This authentic edition of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, as arranged in 1960 by billy strayhorn and duke ellington, was assembled from the original manuscripts held in the strayhorn repository and the ellington collection of the smithsonian institutions national. Join the calgary creative arts ensemble as they present music from tchaikovskys beloved nutcracker as reimagined by the great duke ellington. Get in the holiday spirit in the beautiful surroundings of calgarys grace presbyterian church. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognized as one of duke ellington s most important albums of the 1960s. At once wistful and sassy, it beckons viewers into a nocturnal world populated by jazz babies and night owls.
Stratemanns duke ellington day by day and film by film, mark tucker. Peanut brittle brigade march this is one of the fine examples of the full ellington band turning a foursided march theme into a great jazz performance. The nutcracker suite, an album by duke ellington and his orchestra. The nutcracker suite by duke ellington and his orchestra. Ellington strayhorn jazz nutcracker suitecentral washington university jazz band 1. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded for the columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz.
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