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. For purposes of accuracy, the manuscripts were cross. 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 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. The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at the apollo. 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. I was surprised to see hoffmans name on these titles as sugar is a cti recording owned by sonycbs, and the ellington is a columbia recording also owned by sonycbs, and my information is that sonycbs have. The now can be heard performing duke ellingtons nutcracker suite in a concert recorded during january. Duke ellington two classic albums the nutcracker suite and swinging suites from 1960 on. The christmas eve setting of tchaikovskys ballet, the nutcracker, has. Nutcracker suite by duke ellington on amazon music.
Transparency window color black white red green blue yellow magenta cyan transparency transparent semitransparent opaque font. Ensemblenew york, and a 1960 duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn jazz version performed by a fourteenpiece jazz ensemble. Later in the week on radio 3 saturday, midnight corey mwambas freeness delves into improvisatory musics relationship with the australian outback. This album paired two multimovement compositions created collaboratively by duke ellington and billy strayhorn.
This book would pair well with duke ellingtons nutcracker suite by anna harwell celenza. Ellington and billy strayhorn wrote the queens suite for queen elizabeth ii who was presented with a single pressing of the. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. 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. As orchestrators and harmonists, ellington and strayhorn found inspiration in debussy and ravel.
The eric felten jazz orchestra performs ellingtons nutcracker suite at blues alley dec. Together they composed some of the swingingest sounds in jazz and big band music, and people loved to dance to the music of the duke ellington orchestra. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn put together a jazz version of the nutcracker suite. And this is the last of the nutcracker suite i do not intend to stick the other 2 suites up as of the moment, as the first is the best. 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. Inspired by tchaikovskys infamous suite, this nutcracker is unlike any youve seen before. One could go on for days citing the innovations duke ellington and billy strayhorn brought to all levels of jazz music, from their compositional. Composer billy strayhorn takes center stage alongside jazz legend duke ellington. 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. The ellington suites is an album by american pianist, composer, and bandleader duke ellington which collects three suites recorded in 1959, 1971, and 1972 released on the pablo label in 1976.
Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer gynt in. After the 1950s he emerged as a highly imaginative piano soloist. Duke ellingtons life and success were woven from the fabric of the black community in washington that nurtured him. Eager to create fresh, new tunes, duke and his bestfriend and collaborator, billy strayhorn, decide to reinvent a holiday tradition. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded for the columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz. Ellington remained in the background on most of his early recordings. The nutcracker suite 1960 piano in the background 1960 swinging suites by edward e. The swinging rhythms, brass and saxheavy instrumentation, and addition of unexpected jazzy chords here and there turned what had been a very highbrow piece of music into something accessible to a much larger group of music lovers. This book tells in storyform how duke ellington was inspired to take tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and write it for jazz. Check out nutcracker suite by duke ellington on amazon music. One is a retelling of a traditional story in a new setting. The nutcracker suite sheet music by ellingtonstrayhorn.
It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. Nicknamed duke as a youngster, ellington turned down a visual arts scholarship to focus his life on music. The bso will delight the entire family with the peanut brittle brigade and dance of the floreadors and a few old favorites too. Background information birth name edward kennady ellington born april 29, 189918990429. Writing it was easy, it was finished in less than three months, but convincing the musicians of the idea was another matter. The other is based on a true story, of how duke ellington transformed the nutcracker suite into jazz. The nutcracker suite duke ellington credits allmusic. Heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. 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 queens suite is unified by prominent use of clarinets, their woodiness reinforcing the nature theme. My first jazz recording duke ellingtons version of the.
I am situating the ellingtonstrayhorn peer gynt suites in its cultural context to. The queens suite is as beautiful and fascinating as the story of its creation, which begins when an american duke met the queen of england. Another great resource is duke ellingtons nutcracker suite once. Duke ellington biography life, death, history, mother.
Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite by anna harwell celenza and don tate. The album won a grammy award for best jazz performance by a big band in 1976. The baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. Ellington was born in 1899 into a middle class family his mothers father was. Ellingtons band memebers were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a coolcat jazz number. 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. Greatest allround musical figure of the 20th century, who achieved monumental status as a composer, bandleader, arranger, and instrumentalist. The show will highlight the jazz interpretations of. Duke ellington is considered by many to be one of americas most brilliant jazz composers writers of music of the twentieth century.
Ship this item qualifies for free shipping buy online, pick up in store is currently unavailable, but this item may be available for instore purchase. The nutcracker suite album overture duke ellington. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Duke ellingtons nutcracker baltimore symphony orchestra. The illustrator went to great detail to give context for the time and place of. 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. With a background in classical, popular, ragtime, and stride music, ellington emerged as arguably the greatest single. Born in kansas city, missouri, he is considered one of the three most important swing tenors.
While performing at the leeds music festival in 1958, composer, pianist, and band leader duke ellington was invited to attend the mayors reception at leeds civic hall. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. Tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and edvard griegs peer gynt. Some recent pure pleasure vinyl reissues turrentine. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer. In their own unique style, the two composers remake tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. Come and enjoy the classic nutcracker tale set to the jazz music of duke ellington.
When i heard that pete long pictured and the echoes of ellington orchestra were, thanks to longs musical imagination, visualising how ellingtonbilly strayhorn may have scored gustav holsts the planets suite in the manner. Its 1960 and jazz fans cant get enough of duke ellington and his big band. Composer billy strayhorn takes center stage alongside jazz legend duke ellington in this dynamic picture book account of the composition and recording of their reimagined nutcracker suite. Music profile for duke ellington, born 29 april 1899. I own, and it provides the introductory context for the prime source of interest. The suites duke ellington wrote with billy strayhorn were sometimes loosely tied together. These latest two are reissues of stanley turrentines sugar and duke ellingtons nutcracker suite. The late 1950s also saw ella fitzgerald record her duke ellington songbook with ellington and his orchestraa recognition that ellingtons songs had now become part of the cultural canon. Dukes legacy ellington was the recipient of numerous grammy awards.
Ellington and strayhorns the nutcracker suite at studenaker. 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. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellingtons nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. In 1960 duke ellington and his orchestra recorded an album for the columbia label titled swinging suites by edward e. Featuring brand new choreography from dcbased dance troupe step afrika. Ensemblenew york, and a 1960 duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn jazz version.
721 573 189 1392 901 644 1321 1165 116 217 774 633 1075 1229 1331 1052 321 1235 1060 449 1171 1052 828 1117 35 194 1250 1248 1288 1038 1444 579 480 539 331 655 1269 663 1314 205 1319 361 1302 193 1107 1036