In A Mellow Tone
Wednesday December 3rd, 2025 with Heavy Ben
Vinyl Sides 12 - Duke Ellington, Walter Boudreau, Elizabeth Shepherd, Roger Simard, Makaya McCraven
Playing full album sides
(to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")
| The Nutcracker Suite: Overture, Toot Toot Tootie Toot, Peanut Brittle Brigade, Sugar Rum Cherry, Entr'acte, The Volga Vouty, Chinoiserie, Dance Of The Floreadores, Arabesque Cookie Duke Ellington And His Orchestra, Billy Strayhorn [orig. Tchaikovsky] - The Nutcracker Suite - Columbia, Philips - 1960 |
| We begin with a request from jazz professor Steve Haines for a seasonal piece: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's adaptation of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite". The Prof considers it, "deeply soulful and bluesy, written with elegance and sophistication, with Strays giving Tchai the deepest respect with his treatment of the work."
Here is my conversation with Steve from 2021 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/94/52055.html Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) wrote 3 ballets, 11 operas, 6 symphonies, and works for chamber, piano, strings, choir. Not too shabby, but Duke Ellington (1899-1974) has 1728 compositions registered with ASCAP. The 1892 classical ballet is set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree, in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. It was not successful as a 2-act ballet, then became popular as a 20-minute Suite. Tchaikovsky died the following year, aged 53, of cholera, caused by drinking unboiled water at a local restaurant. Since the late 1960s, The Nutcracker has been danced by many ballet companies, especially in North America. Major ballet companies generate around 40% of their annual ticket revenues from performances of the ballet. What is Trump's tariff on Russian intellectual property? Look what's playing at The National Arts Centre tonight through Sunday! https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/38367 The Majesty of Duke is that, while others wrote for the overall band sound, Ellington wrote for the members of his orchestra. He knew the strengths of each band member. The Duke Ellington jazz orchestra was and is considered the GOAT. Duke used his royalties from compositions in order to retain his band, even when they were not on the road. Adapting Tchaikovsky was Billy Strayhorn's idea. Strayhorn (1915-67) - at age 22 - met Duke Ellington in Pittsburgh, and remained Duke’s chief arranger and orchestrator until his death. He wrote “Lush Life” in high school, also wrote Take The “A” Train, Chelsea Bridge, A Flower is Such a Lovesome Thing. Strayhorn spent the spring of 1960 devoted to the Nutcracker adaptation in his cozy New York apartment as Duke was on the west coast with his band. While Ellington is credited for much of this work, the majority of the writing was done by Strayhorn. Strays would speak with Duke on the phone every day for about an hour, telling Duke what he was cooking, and Duke would advise. Billy would “write, hum, whistle, and occasionally dance” to his Nutcracker ideas, all the while toasting Tchaikovsky with vodka. The Nutcracker Suite was the first time Duke had ever shown Billy on the front cover of the album. High Praise. While initial reviews were mixed, the work has gained favour over time. It is now considered that the adaptation demonstrates the mastery of Duke Ellington, and even more so his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn, whose African American treatments are extremely elegant, clever, and fun. Nutcracker Suite Personnel (recorded May - June 3 1960): Piano, conductor: Duke Ellington Bass: Aaron Bell Drums: Sam Woodyard Reeds: Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney Trumpets: Willie Cook, Fats Ford, Ray Nance, Clark Terry Trombones: Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown, Booty Wood, Britt Woodman |
| Danse Walter Boudreau - Jazz Walter Boudreau + 3 = 4 - Phonodisque - 1967 
|
| Boul. Chaumont Walter Boudreau - Jazz Walter Boudreau + 3 = 4 - Phonodisque - 1967
|
| Synchronisation II Walter Boudreau - Jazz Walter Boudreau + 3 = 4 - Phonodisque - 1967
|
| Composer, saxophonist and conductor Walter Boudreau founded the group L'Infonie in 1969 with Raoul Duguay. Their recorded output is the pinnacle of psychedelic jazz-rock from the era. L'Infonie dissolved in 1973. Since 1988, Boudreay has been the artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec in Montreal.
I produced a two-hour program on Walter Boudreau et L'infonie in 2021 https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/94/53731.html |
| Reversed Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Start To Move Album Sampler - Do Right! Music - 2006
|
| George's Dilemma Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Start To Move Album Sampler - Do Right! Music - 2006
|
| Melon Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Start To Move Album Sampler - Do Right! Music - 2006
|
| Roots Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - Start To Move Album Sampler - Do Right! Music - 2006
|
| "Start To Move" was recorded in Toronto and released on Do Right! Music in 2006. Curiously, it was never fully released on vinyl. They cared enough to put out a 4-track sampler on wax, otherwise you need the CD to hear it. It was nominated for a Juno Award in 2007 and is one of the top Canadian jazz albums from that era. Maybe "Return to Analog" will step up?
Piano, Vocals – Elizabeth Shepherd Bass – Scott Kemp Drums – Colin Kingsmore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Shepherd_(musician) |
| Jazz Canadiana Roger Simard - First Movement... Jeunesse - CBC Radio Canada - 1973
|
| Jazz Canadiana Roger Simard - Second Movement... Amour - CBC Radio Canada - 1973
|
| Jazz Canadiana Roger Simard - Third Movement... Joie - CBC Radio Canada - 1973
|
| Jazz Canadiana Roger Simard - Modulation Perpetuelle - CBC Radio Canada - 1973
|
| Drummer and percussionist Roger Simard played with Jerry De Villiers, Yvan Landry Quartet, Patsy Gallant, Art Maiste, Ginette Reno, Roger Gravel, Organisation C.
This 1973 set was recorded in Montreal. It includes bass guitarist Vic Angelillo, whose "Complicité" LP (credited to Angelillo Et Hamel) was played on Vinyl Sides 9. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/94/70666.html |
| Choo Choo Makaya McCraven - Off The Record: The People's Mixtape - International Anthem - 2025 
|
| The Beat Up Makaya McCraven - Off The Record: The People's Mixtape - International Anthem - 2025
|
| What A Life Makaya McCraven - Off The Record: The People's Mixtape - International Anthem - 2025
|
| Lake Shore Drive Five Makaya McCraven - Off The Record: The People's Mixtape - International Anthem - 2025
|
| This is Side D from the new 4-EP collection from drummer Makaya McCraven. Natalie and I attended his performance The Ottawa Jazz Festival:
https://photogmusic.com/makayamccraven-ottawajazzfestival2025/ Composed and performed by Makaya McCraven (drums), Junius Paul (bass guitar), Joel Ross (vibraphone), Jeremiah Chiu (modular synthesizer, percussion), and Marquis Hill (trumpet, percussion, electronics) on January 14th, 2025 at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY. Editing, additional composition and overdubs by Makaya McCraven (percussion, keys, synths) completed across 2025 at Makaya Music Studios in Chicago, IL. live + post-production = the shape of jazz to come |
Subscribe to In A Mellow Tone