tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655871923887296513.post2620810873868770061..comments2015-10-02T17:18:51.400-07:00Comments on .: duke ellington - the nutcracker suiteUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655871923887296513.post-92003860551300172742010-12-07T09:47:01.580-08:002010-12-07T09:47:01.580-08:00Your comment about big band like sushi…..don’t you...Your comment about big band like sushi…..don’t you think that the bottom line is that what we’re all about is finding good music, regardless of genre? We sometimes get caught in our “barbeque” or “steak” ruts and don’t try things that are new, but I think that eventually our taste buds want something different (Cajun calamari?). I know I want to grow my comfort zone and find things to listen to that are new and challenging. I also don’t want to waste my time listening to music that I don’t deem worthy of giving up part of my life to hear. Therein lies the rub (and spare change). We sometimes do the proverbial “judging the book by the cover” and ignore something because we are familiar with something else presented by the artist or we are not familiar at all with it and can think of 10 million things that we would rather spend our time with than taking the chance with something new. <br /><br />-russAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655871923887296513.post-63152311212310445872010-12-05T14:12:50.335-08:002010-12-05T14:12:50.335-08:00Thank you so much for your comments on the Ellingt...Thank you so much for your comments on the Ellington/Strayhorn adaptation of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite". Thank you also for the insight on Billy Strayhorn's contribution to that work.<br /><br />The original scores are now being published by Alfred Publishing. This version acknowledges Strayhorn by titling the set "Strayhorn/Ellington". At least six of the nine movements were arranged by Strayhorn, two by both Strayhorn and Ellington and one soley by Ellington.<br /><br />We are proud of this publication because it was the result of a collaboration between the Strayhorn and Ellington estates, based on original manuscripts in the Strayhorn Repository and the Smithsonian Ellington repository. It was further checked against the original 1960 recording for accuracy.<br /><br />As far as the reissues, I was as concerned with the replacement of the famous Gordon Parks photo featuring both composers to the present sketch. What was even more disturbing to me was the replacement of the photo of both Ellington and Strayhorn on the Ellington tribute album "And His Mother Called Him Bill" with a sketch only of Ellington. These decisions were made by Ellington promoters to try to establish Ellington's "singularity" as the most significant twentieth century composer for his 1999 centennial.<br /><br />Thanks to David Hajdu's book, "Lush Life: A biography of Billy Strayhorn" then later Walter van de Leur's book "Something To Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn" there is now a written record that sets the record (no pun intended) straight.<br /><br />These comments are not meant to diminish Ellington's place in history--he will always be a significant figure and he should be. But it is heartening that Strayhorn is being recognized for his tremendous contribution to the canon of great composers. That is all we want--no more and no less.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br /><br /><br />A. Alyce Claerbaut<br />President<br />Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com