Duke Ellington's version of "Nutcracker"

[Free For All]

I was fortunate to get to play this piece tonight with a local big band in a "holiday" concert.

I tend to be a little skeptical about "jazz versions of classical pieces" but I must say that Strayhorn did a GREAT MF job of arranging this for the band. It was interesting to sit in the rehearsals and hear all the pieces assembled. It's not really a difficult piece technically, although the sax section has major doubling duties. What's hard about playing this piece is the challenge of infusing even a tiny bit of the intense soulfulness of the 1960 Ellington band. There is some serious plunger work in this sucker, and playing plunger well is not something to be taken lightly!

As far as the writing, playing this piece just increased my admiration of Strayhorn. His ability to distill an orchestral score like this down to minimum instrumentation and still keep the quality of the music intact (yet it sounds like the Ellington band, no question) is amazing. There are some great voicings throughout the piece. Strayhorn was/is a MF!

I'm not much into the whole holiday music thing this year, but this was a treat! The rest of the concert was a bunch of the usual holiday crap.

Duke, Strayhorn and the band belong on that "best things in life" thread.

(edited for a couple clams)

Edited December 9, 2006 by Free For All

[jazzbo]

I'll agree with you about Strays. What an amazing mind! What an interesting personality! What a WRITER!

[sidewinder]

The rest of the concert was a bunch of the usual holiday crap.

'Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas' perchance?

[John Tapscott]

I think Ellington's version of the Nutcracker is fabulous. I too, was a little suspicious of it for a long time, and really only heard it for the first time a few years ago. My appreciation for Ellington/Stryahorn just keeps growing deeper and deeper, almost on a monthly basis, it seems.

[Rooster_Ties]

Count me as a fan too. One of my favorite holiday jazz recordings, by far!!

Now when I hear the traditional version, I almost always think of the Ellington/Strayhorn version in my head.

[JSngry]

Hey Paul, where'd y'all get the charts?

[Rooster_Ties]

Hey Paul, where'd y'all get the charts?

I was wondering the same question!!

[Free For All]

I'm not sure where the bandleader got them, but they were legitimately published, not record lifts.

I did a quick google search and found some things here (check the online store). I don't know if this was the source, but it seems to be available.

[JSngry]

I'm not sure where the bandleader got them, but they were legitimately published, not record lifts.

I did a quick google search and found some things here (check the online store). I don't know if this was the source, but it seems to be available.

Well, they used to be...

ONLINE SHOPPING HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. If you have questions please contact Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc: aalycec@netscape.net or lstrayhorn@satx.rr.com

[Rooster_Ties]

So, can (or do) big bands rent parts?? -- much the way orchestras rent music for performance purposes.

[BruceH]

This had been a big favorite of mine for more years than I care to admit. I first heard it at a friend's house; there were a bunch of people there and someone threw this on and it blew me away! The next day I went out and bought a copy. An example of how to "jazz" a classic RIGHT.

[medjuck]

I think David Berger has done the charts and makes them available. I can find out of you like.

[Rooster_Ties]

OK, this (cover above) is the version of this material that I own -- a CD from 1990. Had it for 8 or 10 years, probably, maybe 12. I've got listings of all the sidemen from the liners, but when the hell were the three suites on this disc recorded??

Not ONE mention, anywhere in the whole liners, of when any of this material was recorded -- not even the decade. I'm assuming 50's, maybe '57?? -- just a wild guess. If anybody can put recording dates to these, I'd me mighty thankful. I'm talkin' Ellington's versions of...

The Nutcracker

Grieg: Pier Gynt Suites Nos 1 & 2

Ellington-Strayhorn: Suite Thursday

How the hell can you release a version of this material (the only version available now, far as I know), and not say one word in the liners about when it was recorded?? The lack of VERY specific recording dates isn't so much a problem, as not even having even just the year mentioned (which does bug me, obviously).

Is this the best CD version of Ellington's Nutcracker to own?? (Thanks, sorry for the rant - that's bugged me for years.)

Edited December 10, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[alocispepraluger102]

OK, this (cover above) is the version of this material that I own -- a CD from 1990. Had it for 8 or 10 years, probably, maybe 12. I've got listings of all the sidemen from the liners, but when the hell were the three suites on this disc recorded??

Not ONE mention, anywhere in the whole liners, of when any of this material was recorded -- not even the decade. I'm assuming 50's, maybe '57?? -- just a wild guess. If anybody can put recording dates to these, I'd me mighty thankful. I'm talkin' Ellington's versions of...

The Nutcracker

Grieg: Pier Gynt Suites Nos 1 & 2

Ellington-Strayhorn: Suite Thursday

How the hell can you release a version of this material (the only version available now, far as I know), and not say one word in the liners about when it was recorded?? The lack of VERY specific recording dates isn't so much a problem, as not even having even just the year mentioned (which does bug me, obviously).

Is this the best CD version of Ellington's Nutcracker to own?? (Thanks, sorry for the rant - that's bugged me for years.)

will dig out my old old vinyl and see if i can discern anything.

[Free For All]

AMG lists the dates as 3/3/60 to 10/10/60. I'm assuming that they were all recorded within that time frame.

This is the only version by Duke's band that I'm aware of.

Now you can relax.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

What r u guys even talking about?!? duke ellington never recorded the N'cker suite- yea, next youre gonna be tellin me DONALD BYRD recorded Kachatourian

[JSngry]

duke ellington never recorded the N'cker suite-

That would be....wrong:

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[sidewinder]

yea, next youre gonna be tellin me DONALD BYRD recorded Kachatourian

You mean to say you don't have that one?

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?? IS THIS REALLY RARE IN USA????!?!?? chewy needs this a.s.a.p. in time for holliday season!!!! ooooooo!

[JSngry]

Not rare at all:

Plus, on one of the suites ("Suite Thursday", I think it is, Paul Horn subs for Johnny Hodges in the sax section. Square business.

[Alexander Hawkins]

My appreciation for Ellington/Stryahorn just keeps growing deeper and deeper, almost on a monthly basis, it seems.

For sure!

[medjuck]

OK, this (cover above) is the version of this material that I own -- a CD from 1990. Had it for 8 or 10 years, probably, maybe 12. I've got listings of all the sidemen from the liners, but when the hell were the three suites on this disc recorded??

Not ONE mention, anywhere in the whole liners, of when any of this material was recorded -- not even the decade. I'm assuming 50's, maybe '57?? -- just a wild guess. If anybody can put recording dates to these, I'd me mighty thankful. I'm talkin' Ellington's versions of...

The Nutcracker

Grieg: Pier Gynt Suites Nos 1 & 2

Ellington-Strayhorn: Suite Thursday

How the hell can you release a version of this material (the only version available now, far as I know), and not say one word in the liners about when it was recorded?? The lack of VERY specific recording dates isn't so much a problem, as not even having even just the year mentioned (which does bug me, obviously).

Is this the best CD version of Ellington's Nutcracker to own?? (Thanks, sorry for the rant - that's bugged me for years.)

This website http://www.depanorama.net/ which is very good for all things Ellington says:

The Nutcracker May and June 1960

Grieg: Pier Gynt Suites Nos 1 & 2: end of June 1960

Suite Thursday: October 1960. The webssite gives specific dates. I cold check it against some Discographies I have but Peter McHare who does the website uses the same ones, so I'm unlikely to find any discrepancies.