Ellington, composer of approximately two thousand compositions, rarely arranged music that was not of his own creation. The creative collaboration of duke ellington and billy. First, because it portrays billy strayhorn and recognizes the impact of this private man on duke ellington s music. Duke ellingtons elegant and witty reworkings of tchaikovskys nutcracker and griegs peer gynt suites are featured along with an ellingtonian jazz planets a new version of gustav holsts planets suite in its centenary year. 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. The baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika. Ship this item qualifies for free shipping buy online, pick up in store check availability at nearby stores. Dec 10, 20 ellington, composer of approximately two thousand compositions, rarely arranged music that was not of his own creation. Duke ellington and his orchestra, em the nutcracker suite.
By the time i was somewhere in midadolescence my friend brought over a copy of the duke ellington organization doing the ellington strayhorn version of the suite. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded for the columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz. 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. Ellingtons nutcracker at the jazz corner all about jazz.
The legendary composing and arranging skills of duke ellington and billy strayhorn also make it nutcracker season for jazz aficionados. Feb 03, 2020 the now can be heard performing duke ellington s nutcracker suite in a concert recorded during january. 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 s elegant and witty reworkings of tchaikovskys nutcracker and griegs peer gynt suites are featured along with an ellingtonian jazz planets a new version of gustav holsts planets suite in its centenary year. Born in 1899, edward kennedy duke ellington was not only a composer and a pianist, but a notable bandleader of his own jazz orchestra he led. Jul 21, 2016 while duke loved jazz, he also enjoyed the music of many classical composers and longed to break down the barrier between the two types of music. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Bringing the necessary composing skills to the duke ellington orchestra, billy strayhorn was able to add to the success of the band by writing original works and rearranging current ellington tunes. Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony orchestra duration.
Justin varnes the jazz corner hilton head island, sc december 15, 2017 every christmas is the nutcracker season for ballet aficionados. The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at the apollo. Dec 03, 2015 the marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellington s nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. Duke ellington freely acknowledged the help he received from billy strayhorn. He even arranged several classical favorites for jazz band, including tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and griegs peer gynt suite. 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. Duke ellingtons version of the nutcracker suite heard in edmonton the definitive duke ellington. Oct 08, 20 heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. Nutcracker suite is a work that most of us know from the christmas holiday, a ballet that as a schoolchild one had to see. Later in the week on radio 3 saturday, midnight corey mwambas freeness delves into improvisatory musics relationship with the australian outback. Tapping ellington and strayhorns nutcracker suite wise music. Coarranged by billy strayhorn, this is a remarkable work by the ellington orchestra. The album won a grammy award for best jazz performance by a big band in 1976. 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 ellington s most important albums of the 1960s. Ellington and billy strayhorn wrote the queens suite for queen elizabeth ii who was presented with a single pressing of the. 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. America certainly can put duke ellington on the same pedestal. 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. 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. Scopri pubblicazioni, recensioni, brani, consigli, e molto altro su duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite in discogs. Just wrapping up my upload of duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. Each of the ten movements of jazz planets features a soloist from the echoes of ellington orchestra. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellingtons nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. Duke ellington and his orchestra nutcracker suitepeer. He even arranged several classical favorites for jazz band, including tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and.
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. Ellingtons nutcracker suite, the aussie outback, chicagos jazz age art and aycliffe radio tonights radio 3 in concert at 7. Dec 05, 2012 lake zurich hs band wednesday, december 5, 2012. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer. Nutcracker suite duke ellington library performance. Sweetpea comes back into the spotlight in uindy centennial celebration duke ellington and billy strayhorn at work. Duke ellington piano willie cook, fats ford, ray nance, clark terry trumpet lawrence brown, booty wood, britt. 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. Duke ellingtons arrangement is great and ive heard played great. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. 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 their doubts that the project would amount to much. In 1960 duke ellington and billy strayhorn reinvented peter ilyich tchaikovskys holiday ballet classic, the nutcracker suite, as a jazzy, brassy.
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. 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. The suites duke ellington wrote with billy strayhorn were sometimes loosely tied together. The nutcracker ballet was first performed on december 18, 1892 in st. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. While duke loved jazz, he also enjoyed the music of many classical composers and longed to break down the barrier between the two types of music. Duke ellington and his orchestra, 1960, stereo, an album by duke ellington on spotify. In 1960 duke ellington and his orchestra recorded an album for the columbia label titled swinging suites by edward e. Writes the nyt columnist david leonhardt in email that i could unsubscribe from, but this is clearly excellent enough to stay my hand for the nonce. Composer billy strayhorn takes center stage alongside jazz legend duke ellington. One of duke ellington s most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. By the time i was somewhere in midadolescence my friend brought over a copy of the duke ellington organization doing the ellingtonstrayhorn version of the suite. We have also quoted enthusiastic praise of the work on the blog jazzin the classics with larry clinton.
Mar 15, 2014 bringing the necessary composing skills to the duke ellington orchestra, billy strayhorn was able to add to the success of the band by writing original works and rearranging current ellington tunes. 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. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer gynt in. Ensemblenew york, and a 1960 duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn jazz version. The liner to the original nutcracker suite cd is notable for two reasons. The great paris concert atlantic live atlantic 1966.
The queens suite is unified by prominent use of clarinets, their woodiness reinforcing the nature theme. Duke ellingtons version of the nutcracker suite heard in. Tchaikovsky, ellingtonstrayhorn, nutcracker suites. Duke ellingtons arrangement of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. The nutcracker suite in 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn put together a jazz version of the nutcracker suite. Ellington, when you formed the duke ellington orchestra way back in 1923, did you think it would still be thriving 96 years later. Tchaikovskys nutcracker suite and edvard griegs peer gynt. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. This album paired two multimovement compositions created collaboratively by duke ellington and billy strayhorn.
I founded the pittsfield cityjazz festival, part of. 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. Dec 09, 2019 the paradise jazz series audience consumes twohours of duke ellington s hits, plus his nutcracker suite duke ellington mr. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite 1960. Its a work that is reimagined by the composing genius. Tchaikovsky, ellingtonstrayhorn, nutcracker suites, harmonie. The now can be heard performing duke ellingtons nutcracker suite in a concert recorded during january.
One of duke ellingtons most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. 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. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite by anna harwell celenza and don tate. Nutcracker suite duke ellington library performanc. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Back when i was a kid, my dad called our old, sagging sofa the nutcracker suite. But the great bandleader had a genius for being the center of attention even while letting the public know how much he valued. For purposes of accuracy, the manuscripts were crosschecked carefully with the original duke ellington orchestra recording columbia cs 8341. Ellington and strayhorns nutcracker suite i came across this columbia record video concerning the release of duke ellingtons nutcracker suite recording. Dec 09, 2019 i usually suggest duke ellingtons arrangement of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, my favorite piece of holiday music. Fortunately for holiday listeners, he teamed with cocomposer billy strayhorn for an intriguing version of the nutcracker suite performed by the ellington orchestra and recorded on a 1960 lp titled three suites. Its produced by the finest ballet companies as in the american ballet.
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