Over the past couple weeks we have come upon talking about Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn and their partnership in their music. As we have talked and listened to the music I have found that I enjoy it very much.
The first time I had knowingly listened to a piece of their music was last Christmas season. Temple University put on a performance of the Nutcracker Suite with their Classical Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. First the Classical Orchestra played Tchaikovsky's original piece the the Jazz Ensemble would follow with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's version of the same piece.
My favorite piece was the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy/Sugar Rum Cherry. The description from the Master of Ceremonies was amusing as well as accurate. He said that Duke Ellington's version sounded like the fairies had a few too many drinks before doing the piece ending up making it sound sultry and boozy but amazing.
Here is a listening to the original and then the Ellington and Strayhorn version::
Tchaikovsky's:
http://youtu.be/Rapf3g_XvCc
Ellington and Strayhorn:
http://youtu.be/ONknTGUckKc
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