Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite brian

Dec 09, 2016 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. 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. The music for peer gynt is all at once subtle, dramatic and at times, haunting. Its 1960 and jazz fans cant get enough of duke ellington and his big band.

Heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. 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. Eager to create fresh, new tunes, duke and his bestfriend and collaborator, billy strayhorn, decide to reinvent a holiday tradition. Duke ellington and his orchestra is perhaps the greatest of all jazz bands. Duke ellington and his orchestra, 1960, stereo, an album by duke ellington on spotify. 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. In 1960 duke ellington and his orchestra recorded an album for the columbia label titled swinging suites by edward e. In the opinion of bob blumenthal of the boston globe, in. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. The baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika. The album was reissued in 1995 with four previously unreleased alternate takes. The piano prince and his orchestra by andrea pinkney and brian pinkney dec 12, 2006. In 1999, this suite was supplemented with additional arrangements from the score by david berger for the harlem nutcracker, a production of the ballet by choreographer donald byrd. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite.

Brian williams, wasnt familiar with the ellington version. Duke ellington and his kentucky club orchestra grew to a group of ten players. Duke ellingtons nutcracker baltimore symphony orchestra. The ellingtonstrayhorn arrangement, as recorded by the ellington band. Original cover art for the nutcracker suite, ellington, strayhorn. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer. Edward kennedy duke ellington april 29, 1899 may 24, 1974 was an american composer, pianist, and leader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death over a career spanning more than six decades born in washington, d. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke. 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. Dance becomes arabesque cookie which spike lee included in his movie malcolm x. 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. The nutcracker suite duke ellington credits allmusic. Duke ellington presents the nutcracker suite youtube.

Find album credit information for the nutcracker suite duke ellington on allmusic. Relatively late in his career, ellington decided to release an album devoted to orchestrations of other composers and chose tchaikovskys nutcracker suite not exactly a safe choice, since many consider tchaikovsky one of the great orchestrators. Duke ellington in 1954 at kfg radio every number brings with it an utterly inspired transformation. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognised as one of duke ellington s most important albums of the 1960s. Duke ellington and his orchestra nutcracker suite peer. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. Coarranged by billy strayhorn, this is a remarkable work by the ellington orchestra. Comparative listening doesnt get much more fun than this. 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. In august 1956, duke ellington and his orchestra were in canada, performing in the same city as the ongoing stratford shakespearean festival.

The symphonic ellington is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded and released on the reprise label in 1963. This is the first commercial recording of it in its entirety since that legendary. Nutcracker suite overture youtube duke ellington and his orchestra. Nov 28, 2014 the baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika. Curious, ellington and his longtime composerarranger billy strayhorn talked to festival staffers, and ellington soon announced his next album project would be a conceptual piece, paying tribute to. Duke ellington and his orchestra, ellington, strayhorn. 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 works, really. Ellingtons band memebers were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a coolcat jazz number. Find similar albums to the nutcracker suite duke ellington on allmusic. Michelle dorrances version, to the ellingtonstrayhorn jazz take on. Shchelkunchik listen help info is an 1892 twoact ballet fairy ballet. Oct 08, 20 heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. Many know him as duke ellingtons longtime collaborator, composer and arranger, who was no more than a noname kid from a poor black family in.

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. His life in jazz with 21 activities for kids series. The groups perform a unique take on duke ellingtons version of the holiday. Find duke ellington credit information on allmusic.

As orchestrators and harmonists, ellington and strayhorn found inspiration in debussy and ravel. One of duke ellington s most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. 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 duke like numbers tacked on at the and which failed to hit the mark, and arent really worth listening to. Featuring brand new choreography from dcbased dance troupe step afrika. Ellington and strayhorns the nutcracker suite at studenaker. Strayhorn had been a fan of the dukes since he had first seen ellingtons band play. Just wrapping up my upload of duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. Duke ellington and his orchestra, 1960, stereo, an album by duke ellington on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. The group stayed together for over fifty years and recorded and wrote some of americas greatest music.

One of duke ellingtons most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. Music video the nutcracker suite album overture duke ellington. Ellingtons sugar rum cherry for the jazzy holiday season wise. 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 museum of american history. Duke ellington was the true master of the big band era, although a lot of benny goodman followers might disagree. 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. The band started in new york city under name of the washingtonians in 1923, they then briefly became known as duke ellington and his kentucky club orchestra, then as duke ellington and his cotton club orchestra from 1927 to 1930. 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. Here he takes two old favourites, tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and griegs peer gynt suite. 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 worth listening to.

Three suites highlights the genius that is duke ellington. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite once upon a masterpiece. Its a work that is reimagined by the composing genius. Ellington and billy strayhorn wrote the compositions. How right of the duke to give equal billing to his collaborator billy strayhorn 191567 on the front sleeve of the original columbia lp of that wonderfully affectionate and superbly stimulating reimagining of tchaikovskys suite from the nutcracker. Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony orchestra. In their own unique style, the two composers remake tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. Duke ellington and his orchestra take the a train 1962 official. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite by anna harwell celenza.

Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite 1960. Far east suite is an album by duke ellington that won the grammy award in 1968 for best instrumental jazz performance large group or soloist with large group. This album paired two multimovement compositions created collaboratively by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. Anna harwell celenza duke ellingtons nutcracker suite.

The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. The bso will delight the entire family with the peanut brittle brigade and dance of the floreadors and a few old favorites too. The band started in new york city under name of the washingtonians in 1923, they then briefly became known as duke ellington and his kentucky club orchestra, then as. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. Nutcracker suite is a work that most of us know from the christmas holiday, a ballet that as a schoolchild one had to see. His music for jazz orchestra from the nutcracker takes the music of tchaikovsky to a new, modern dimension that will no doubt resonate with many the way the classical ballet music does not. The nutcracker suite duke ellington similar allmusic. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn composed jazz interpretations of pieces from tchaikovskys score, recorded and released on lp as the nutcracker suite.