Mercer kennedy ellington march 11, 1919 february 8, 1996 was an american musician, composer, and arranger. Classical swing is a unique musical juxtaposition of the nutcracker suite by piotr tchaikovsky and the peer gynt. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. He wrote thousands of works, composing popular songs, art songs, a wide variety of instrumentals, suites, symphonic works, movie and tv scores, and music for ballet all of a very high quality. As part of the great migration, jazz legend duke ellington moved from washington d. Duke ellington and his orchestra nutcracker suite 1979. Duke ellington, american pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time. Conductor david berger leads a fullscale ballet based on themes of tchaikovskys classic holiday piece the nutcracker, but this version is quite different from the original. Its a work that is reimagined by the composing genius. 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. Duke ellington and his kentucky club orchestra grew to a tenpiece organization, developing their distinct sound, displaying the nontraditional expression of ellingtons arrangements, the street rhythms of harlem, and the exoticsounding trombone growls and wahwahs, highsquealing trumpets, and sultry saxophone blues licks of the band. 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. Nutcracker miniature overture countryrock invincible czars duration.
Friends university presents 2019 ellingtons nutcracker. The duke plays ellington capitol capitol universal. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. The show hasnt been performed anywhere in nearly two decades. Featuring brand new choreography from dcbased dance troupe step afrika. The show will highlight the jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker as arranged by duke ellington, as well as many other ellington hits. One of duke ellingtons most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. Here is the entire nutcracker suite by duke ellington. Duke ellington role in harlem renaissance biography. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. Army blues duke ellington nutcracker youtube duke ellington and his orchestra. Find album credit information for the nutcracker suite duke ellington on allmusic. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn arranged a clever adaptation of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite for the duke ellington orchestra.
Big band meet symphonic and one conductor who make both tchaikovsky and ellington. Suite by edvard grieg, combined with the harlem nutcracker and peer gynt arranged for big band by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. One of the originators of bigband jazz, ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores, and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in. Duke ellington was the true master of the big band era, although a lot of benny goodman followers might disagree. Duke ellington presents the nutcracker suite youtube. This is some of the greatest music of the suites written or in this case, arranged by ellington and strayhorn. 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. Native newyorker and trumpeter mike lewis presents duke ellingtons nutcracker suite, featuring the mike lewis big band and pianist tommy james. Watch the full performance at the smithsonian jazz facebook page.
Jazz up the holiday season with a sample from duke ellingtons version of the nutcracker suite performed by david berger jazz. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Duke ellington drop me off in harlem lyrics genius lyrics. 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. 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. A 1959 promo video for duke ellingtons version of the nutcracker suite, featuring paul gonsalves, butter jackson, and ray nance. Ellingtons band memebers were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a coolcat jazz number. 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. The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. Donald byrds the harlem nutcracker premiered in 1996 in new york.
His father was duke ellington, from whose musical shadow he rarely tried to travel. Artist robert graham created a statue of duke ellington to honor the jazz greats contributions to the harlem music scene. Duke, a master titlegiver, described the work as a concerto grosso for jazz band and symphony orchestra. Duke ellingtons nutcracker baltimore symphony orchestra. The friends university ballet department will once again present the jazz version of a holiday favorite, ellingtons nutcracker. Nutcracker suite is a work that most of us know from the christmas holiday, a ballet that as a schoolchild one had to see. Licensed to youtube by sme, wmg on behalf of milan records.
The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at the apollo. 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. The bso will delight the entire family with the peanut brittle brigade and dance of the floreadors and a few old favorites too. Duke ellington harlem air shaft by jazz and blues experience. Coarranged by billy strayhorn, this is a remarkable work by the ellington orchestra.
Ellingtons nutcracker will be set to a live jazz band playing the duke ellington orchestras composition. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. This isnt the actual story version but how ellington actually decided to write his version there are story versions with africanamerican characters using duke ellingtons music available not sure where. Duke ellington duke ellington the best of by classic. 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 new testament duke ellington gave to evie ellington in 1963 was on display at the museum december 9, 2016, during the smithsonian jazz masterworks orchestras spirituality and jazz performance, part of the religion in america initiatives sounds of faith concert series. The dances are to the music of duke ellington and billy strayhorns nutcracker suite, with additional ellingtoninspired interpretations of tchaikovskys score by david berger. 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. The nutcracker suite duke ellington credits allmusic.
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