Friday, December 14, 2012

11 Days of Xmas: Duke Ellington - "The Nutcracker Suite" (1960)

Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - "The Nutcracker Suite" (1960) - Columbia Records

Hello Friends,

We're having a swinging, hipster Xmas party on Vinyl in the Valley tonight featuring Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's arrangement of Tchaikovsy's famous "Nutcracker Suite".


Things are jumping on this 1960 release featuring expertly arranged jazz renditions of the Russian composer's most famous work.  And this is some first rate shit!  Ellington & co. at their best.  Mitchell "Booty" Wood's muted trombone on the opening number, "Overture" is worth the price of admission alone.

Overture by Duke Ellington feat. Johnny Hodge andPaul Gonzalves on Grooveshark

In additional to Booty Wood and the Duke himself on piano, other players sound like a who's who roster: Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Paul Gonzalves, Russell Procope (Saxes), Ray Nance (Trumpet), Juan Tizol (Trombone) and Sam Woodyard on drums.

Tiki T. says listening to album is like sitting at a bar at Grand Central Station waiting for train during holidays!  If she keeps downing these Old Fashioned's, I think she's going to miss her train altogether!

RATING: 5 Sugar Rum Cherries out of 5


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