It's a challenge to transform the Nutcracker Suite's romantic orchestra
into jumpin' jazz melodies, but that's exactly what Duke Ellington and
his collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, did.
Ellington's band memebers were not so sure that a classical ballet could
become a cool-cat jazz number. But Duke and Billy, inspired by their
travels and by musical styles past and present, infused the composition
with Vegas glitz, Hollywood glamour, and even a little New York jazz.