Jazz Vegas Orchestra “The Nutcracker Suite”

The Duke and “The Nutcracker Suite” have an interesting tie to Las Vegas. In early 1960, some 68 years after Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned his famous ballet, The Nutcracker, Duke Ellington and his famous band were in residency in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel. While there, Ellington and his longtime collaborator/composer/arranger, Billy Strayhorn, received a call from Columbia Records producer Irving Townsend.

Townsend offered Ellington complete freedom to write and record anything he wanted if he signed with the Columbia label. Duke suggests a concept to “create music that can’t be categorized.” Since Ellington liked to perform dance music and Tchaikovsky’s work is a ballet, Strayhorn suggested they reinvent the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker Suite.” Despite Strayhorn either writing or co-writing over 100 Ellington classics for Duke and his orchestra, this would be the first time he would receive equal billing.

The Jazz Vegas Orchestra is one of the most prolific and exciting big bands, packing venues with nearly 30 performances per year. Composed of 19 of the area’s most renowned jazz musicians, the Jazz Vegas Orchestra is presented by Jazz Outreach Initiative. It serves thousands of students annually through its mission: “Connecting the language of music to the language of life through education, outreach and performances.”

Through its affiliation with the legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center, “JOI” presents several programs, both created locally and licensed by JALC, reaching students across Southern Nevada and beyond. Jazz Outreach Initiative was founded in spring 2017 by Maestros Kenny Rampton and Gary Cordell and is a GuideStar Platinum Shield-rated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting music education through the generosity of donors.

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