Giacomo Smith's Big Band Presents Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's near-40-year collaboration is one of the most consequential in the history of jazz music. While the pair had already co-produced innumerable masterworks prior to the 1960s' Nutcracker Suite, the release of this album marked the first time Strayhorn appeared on the cover of an Ellington album, reflecting his role as co-architect. This album also represents the first time Ellington had reorchestrated the work of a major classical composer, adapting Tchaikovsky's themes into the Ellingtonian swing style — from bombastic, full-band 'Peanut Brittle Brigade' to the sparse, mysterious 'Sugar Rum Cherry' and 'Chinoiserie'. This evening's performance also features Smith's original compositions and other rarities from Ellington and the big band canon.