Jazz Orchestra - Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite 2024

Written by Sasha Townend and Giselle Swann

The 1960 release of Duke Ellington's The Nutcracker Suite, a jazz adaptation of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, was co-arranged with Billy Strayhorn. This album displays Ellington and Strayhorn's skill in transforming complex classical compositions into lively jazz arrangements by transforming the original classical pieces into swing, blues, and big band styles. The “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and the “Waltz of the Flowers” were reimagined as “Sugar Rum Cherry” and the “Dance of the Floreadores” during the suite. This groundbreaking project honored Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece and bridged the gap between classical and jazz, showcasing the universal appeal of both genres.

The Interlochen Arts Academy Jazz Orchestra hosted a concert honouring Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Nutcracker Suite in Dendrinos Chapel on Dec. 8. This special performance of the Nutcracker was also performed at The Bay Theatre in Suttons Bay on Dec. 7. It was the first time in recent years that the jazz ensemble has performed a show at this venue. This performance of the suite was largely unlike many other shows this orchestra has performed. It included a combination of different Christmas music, including classics such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” performed by the Jazz Combos, the classic Nutcracker Suite. Performing at the Bay Theatre was a great opportunity for the musicians to share their talent with people outside of the Traverse City area, and considering all shows were sold out, it was a great success!  

The show was a performance that both highlighted Christmas songs from different jazz combos such as “White Christmas” and “Oh Christmas Tree”, the jazz orchestra performed Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite. 

This performance was entertaining, with the different bands always being cohesive and expressive on stage. Some memorable moments during the performance were Suzie Littleton’s and the Bop Combo’s rendition of “White Christmas,” along with parts of The Nutcracker Suite including “Sugar Rum Cherry” (“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”), and “Dance of the Floreadores” (“Waltz of the Flowers”). All of these performances were extremely captivating. They were extremely coordinated, and expressive, and had amazing solos from different instrumentalists in the big band and Bop Combo. 

Chris Glassman led the concert with the Jazz Orchestra this year. He is currently the director of the Jazz Program at Interlochen. The Interlochen Times spoke with him about his experience. 

Could you give me some background on this show?

It is our Christmas concert, but it is Duke Ellington’s version of Tchaikovsky’s [The] Nutcracker. There are nine movements of each piece. We are playing it three times; twice at Suttons Bay and once at Interlochen on Dec. 7-8. We are also including Christmas hits from the Jazz Combos.

What is unique about this arrangement as opposed to the Tchaikovsky original Nutcracker score?

There are many different things, but I feel that the most unique thing is that Ellington writes it in a way that it feels like a completely new piece. The only thing that you can pinpoint which piece is being played is the theme melodies. It’s basically like if you asked a jazz musician to write a Christmas suite, which is what I love about this arrangement. 

How long has the Jazz Orchestra at Interlochen been performing this show to your knowledge?

We played it last year, so a lot of students have already played it. I know it has been performed for three years [at Interlochen].

What was the process of preparing for this performance?

One of the big things we had to do was get a clarinettist because there are many clarinet players. So, I got in touch with Dr. Benda, who put me in touch with a clarinet student so I could give them their part. The process for the band is just listening to the music over and over to get a really good understanding of the arrangement, along with practising the music, of course. When we get to rehearsal, everybody gets to know their role because it changes a lot, and the groove and time are down. 

Have there been any particular setbacks or challenges during the rehearsal process? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge is just how busy everyone is in terms of college applications and the Interlochen school schedule. Another setback is that Thanksgiving break is coming up which puts a big break in rehearsals so we will have to take a week to get everything down and clean. The main thing to make everything as smooth as possible is just making sure that everyone knows their parts and is continuing to practice so we can bring everything together after the break.

The IAA Jazz Show was a great success this year. Students were able to express their passion for jazz and entertain many people both in Suttons Bay and Traverse City. The show was cohesive, ran smoothly, and reminded people both inside and outside of Interlochen that jazz is a beautiful genre of music. The orchestra brought all of the Christmas songs and The Nutcracker Suite to life and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everybody listening.