The Duke 'duke-itze' Tchaikovsky and Grieg. Co-arranged by Billy Strayhorn, this is a remarkable work by the Ellington Orchestra. It's a work that is re-imagined by the composing genius. "Nutcracker Suite" is a work that most of us know from the Christmas Holiday, a ballet that as a schoolchild one had to see. It's the "Louie Louie" of the ballet world. In Ellington's version, it becomes a subtle work of beauty, that is understated, and the hint of the well-known melodies makes it more of an aftertaste than a full meal.
My favorite is Grieg's "Peer Gynt" which has beautiful melodies, and the tasteful horns with a superb percussion make this work come alive. I'm a huge fan of arrangements of familiar music and Ellington like Jack Nitzsche's Chopin album, he presents his arranging skills as a skilled translator.
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